LeBron James Willing To Take Pay Cut If Lakers Sign One Of These Three Players

LeBron James opted out of his $51.4 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2024-25 season, but the general expectation is that he'll return to the team on a new deal. The question is, how much it will take to bring him back.

According to recent reports, James is willing to take a pay cut from the maximum three-year, $162 million deal he could get. But there's one caveat: The Lakers must first add an impactful player who could help them contend for a championship.

If LA is unable to make a significant roster addition, then James will reportedly seek the max contract, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Interestingly, McMenamin revealed at least three players that James would be willing to take a pay cut for: Klay Thompson, James Harden and Jonas Valanciunas.

"The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker like James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis -- like Jonas Valanciunas, sources told ESPN," McMenamin wrote.

Thompson, Harden and Valanciunas are all set to be free agents this offseason, and considering the latest report, it's safe to assume that the Lakers would be focusing on these three first once free agency opens on Sunday.

It remains to be seen whether the Lakers will actually be able to sign any of those three. But sure enough, James' willingness to sacrifice a significant amount of money is a huge boost in their free agency plans.

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