Lakers’ LeBron James Will ‘Probably’ Sign a 3-Year, $180 Million Deal
Adrian Wojnarowski reported on July 1 that free agent Klay Thompson plans to join the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade that also involves the Charlotte Hornets. The Los Angeles Lakers have now missed out on another target, and the expectation is for LeBron James to sign a max extension.
According to Wojnarowski, James will “probably” take the full max, which is a three-year, $180 million deal.
“For the Lakers, and I think, ultimately, LeBron James probably takes that full max because the kind of impact player they hope they could get is not available to them,” Wojnarowski said on an episode of SportsCenter on July 1.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on June 29 that James was willing to take a pay cut for an “impact player.” McMenamin wrote that Thompson was one of the three options.
“The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker such as James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis such as Jonas Valančiūnas, sources toldJames Harden re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Jonas Valanciunas signed a three-year deal with the Washington Wizards. ESPN,” McMenamin wrote.James Harden re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Jonas Valanciunas signed a three-year deal with the Washington Wizards.