LeBron James Explains Why He Took Less Money Than Max To Remain WIth Lakers

It’s been super quiet on the Lakers’ front this offseason. The Lakers have yet to make a significant move to bolster their lineup. However, they did sign the biggest free agent market: future Hall of Famer LeBron James. All signs pointed to James re-signing in L.A. and already being on the team the seasons prior, but now it is almost guaranteed he will finish his career in the Purple and Gold.

James officially re-signed with the team on Saturday, signing a two-year extension for $101.35 million that would take him through year 23 in the league. The deal is approximately below the $104 million max, so James took slightly less money to remain in Los Angeles. No matter who you are, $2.7 million is $2.7 million. That is a lot of money to pass up, but James still believes in the Lakers and their front office.

James elaborated on why he decided to take less money, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:

The Lakers can no longer use their middle-level exception, and they have no one to balm but themselves; however, this does give the Lakers a little wiggle room to alter the roster. The only way to change this roster massively is via trade.

Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office are working tirelessly to revamp this roster for the better. That has yet to happen with the new CBA, making it difficult, but that isn’t stopping the front office from going out there and looking for a trade that best suits them. The Lakers want to win now, and if they decide to run it back with this current group, that will be a grave mistake.

James and Anthony Davis seem to support the front office when asked about the current roster outlook, but it’s clear that a trade must happen for the team to be considered an elite team in an extremely difficult Western Conference.

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