Should Zhan choose to cut his salary in order to compete for the championship? Lakers management wants to prove what can be done with this money

(The original article was published on June 12, the author is SamQuinn of CBS Sports, and the content of the article does not represent the translator's opinion)

When James joined the Heat in 2010, he did not sign a maximum salary contract. He took the initiative to cut salary to help the team build the best team. In the following years, the Heat won twice, but the team's management repeatedly used his generous actions, such as using amnesty clauses to evade luxury tax to sack key player Mike Miller, which has been rumored to have dissatisfied James. When he became a free agent in 2014, he made it clear that he would not accept any salary cuts anymore and insisted on signing only the maximum salary contract.

This iron law has never been broken between 2014 and 2024. James has always shown a value that matches the maximum salary, and the outside world generally believes that this model will continue. However, with the serious restriction of the Lakers' salary space, it is rumored that James has offered a big gift: he is willing to accept a significant salary cut of about $15 million, helping the team to introduce his recognized free agent market target candidate through middle-class specials or signing first and then changing.

"His (James) primary goal is to upgrade the lineup," agent Ritchie Paul revealed to ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin at the time. "He insisted that the management do everything possible to improve the lineup."

The Lakers once chased Clay Thompson with all their might, but unfortunately they eventually lost to the Mavericks. So James took back his promise of a salary cut, but still made a small concession to help the team avoid the second rich line, and eventually renewed his contract for two years of $104 million. Since the second year of the contract is a player option, the outside world has expected him to restart his salary cut plan at the right time.

There is currently a slim possibility of a salary cut, with all signs that James will execute the $52.6 million player option for the last year of the current contract. Although it is not clear why James has lowered his priority for the Lakers' lineup upgrade at this stage, the direct consequence is that the Lakers' road to strengthening this offseason will be even more difficult.

If both James and Finney Smith perform next season's player options, the Lakers will start operating in the offseason with a cap space of about $4 million below the first tyrant line and about $16 million below the second tyrant line. Ideally, the Lakers need to keep their salary below the first tycoon line. This way they can use the mini middle class special case of about $5.7 million (rather than the full middle class special case of 14.1 million), while unlocking the biennial special case of about $5.1 million for signings, and also gain free agents by signing first and then exchange. During the season, teams below the first tycoon line can sign any player in the buyout market, while teams above that line can only sign buyout players with original salary lower than the full middle class. These differences will bring enormous operational flexibility.

Of course, the Lakers have other ways to create operational space. The easiest way is to cut salary through transactions, but the most direct solution is still James' active salary cut.

It must be clear that James is still worthy of the maximum salary today, and he was just selected for the second team of the All-Squad this season. The "HNI Index" (comprehensive eight advanced data rankings) created by reporter Andy Bailey in the open-air stands shows that James tied for 16th in the league with his former teammate Davis. Despite reasonable concerns about the decline in competitive state for older core players, James is always the exception. Even if his form declines next season, in a market where both Paul George and Bill can get maximum salary contracts, his performance is still enough to match the maximum salary value. At least from the last game, James is still an undisputed maximum-salary player.

So what if James' condition declines? He has locked in his contract with the player option to lock in his quasi-maximum salary for next season and is fully entitled to exercise that right. We rarely question other players' choices for maximum salary, and James should not be an exception as a billionaire. Basketball is his profession, and he still maintains the top level. Why shouldn’t he get the corresponding reward?

Ritchie Paul gave the answer a year ago: James longed for victory. He personally admitted that he was chasing "the ghost (referring to Michael Jordan)," and the light of the opponent's six championship rings still surpassed his four championships. The question is not whether James should cut his salary, but that the refusal to cut his salary is fundamentally inconsistent with his publicly claimed goal of winning the championship. This is essentially a priority issue. James can choose to maximize salary or maximize the chances of the fifth championship, but he cannot get both. Although the Lakers theoretically may still piece together the championship lineup with his maximum salary contract, these two goals are essentially contrary: the higher the salary of James, the more difficult it will be for the Lakers to form a championship lineup.

Even with Luca Doncic, this will still be an uphill battle. In the first round of this year's playoffs, the Timberwolves eliminated them in just five games; and after two rounds, the Timberwolves were also defeated by the Thunder five games. This Thunder, the youngest, lowest-paid and most well-invested Thunder in the NBA, will surely be stronger next season. Considering that James' form is likely to decline, the gap between the two sides is quite obvious at least at this stage. Although it is not insurmountable, the Lakers need to use all team building methods to bridge the gap.

The Lakers need to strengthen at least two centers. Coach Redick completely abandoned Hayes in the series against the Timberwolves, which has proven he is not qualified for the playoff-level backup inside. They also need defensive backs, as Finney Smith is more suitable for marking the wings, while the West is full of agile small scorers whose existing rosters are difficult to limit. In addition, it is necessary to add ball holding points, which may not necessarily take on important roles, but it can reduce the burden on stars in the regular season and provide alternatives for the playoffs.

The Lakers are likely to have only the chips left to reach a heavy deal, thanks to the Mark Williams trade that was cancelled. They can use the first round of picks in 2031 and the first round of swap rights in 2026, 2030 and 2032. Vincent and Cleber's expiration contract is easy to balance the deal, and Vanderbilt's long-term contract may hesitate for suitors, at least it can be used as salary balance chips.. If the Lakers are willing to be bolder, Hachimura's $18 million expiration contract is traded attractive, and he can also attract some teams as an independent asset.

However, unless Reeves is put on the shelves (multiple news shows that the Lakers will not trade him unless they can get a star), these chips are still not enough to solve all the Lakers' needs. The free agent market will become a key battlefield for the Lakers during the offseason, and we have analyzed whether James has a salary cut or not, and the Lakers will face different operating spaces.

Although James takes the initiative through the player options in the contract, the Lakers management's decision this summer is also critical. They don't have to go all out to fight for next year's championship. Since they have won the 26-year-old Doncic (as long as they are sure Doncic will renew his contract in the offseason), they must focus on longer-term plans.

Carefully consider the value of the first round pick in 2031: it may be exchanged for high-quality centers at the moment, but if it is retained until next summer, after the trading restrictions of the first round picks in 2033 are lifted, the Lakers can pack two first round picks to pursue bigger stars. However, Doncic can wait, but James may not have this time window. The more far-reaching problem lies in James' team positioning after 2026. The Lakers are currently expected to free up their maximum salary space in the summer of that year, and their goal is obviously to form a long-term core lineup around Doncic. At that time, James' role will become subtle. Assuming they pursue maximum free agents like Jaren Jackson Jr., it will be almost impossible to retain James at the same time at the current salary level. If James wants to lock in the high salary for the 2026-27 season, his player options can instead become a bargaining chip: through this year's salary cut, he can strive to add the player option clause to the contract renewal.

If the Lakers decide to retain their 2026 salary space, this will not only affect James, but will also limit the quality of signings this summer. If you only want to accept the expiration contract, the choice of high-quality role players will be greatly reduced. James may not care about the Lakers' operational flexibility in 2026, he is pursuing the current opportunity to compete for the championship.

But the Lakers management must consider a longer-term layout. What they most don't want to see is that they fail to make a desperate bet on the championship and eventually lose their bargaining chips in the Doncic era. This instead gives the Lakers some bargaining chips: they can show James with confidence that if the team wants to sprint with all their might in the new season, he should make corresponding concessions.

The relationship between the team and the superstar is essentially a game cooperation. Although James and the Lakers have generally won the win-win situation, they have also experienced a reef moment: the Lakers once came to Westbrook to trade in Klutch Sports customer base of Ritchie Paul, but delayed the deal when James hints that it needs a trade; their decision to let Caruso go to save money is exactly the type of operation that James hated in the past. In this negotiation, both sides hold reasonable bargaining chips.

This does not imply that there is a rift in the relationship between the two parties, but that it is never taken for granted that trust in such negotiations is never taken for granted. James did not blindly cut his salary last year. He gave clear reinforcement requirements, but the Lakers failed to fulfill it. The Heat's experience taught him that excessive decentralization may backfire. If he chooses financial concessions again, he must ensure that he has a good value for money.

James did not need to make a decision before June 29, which gave him time to evaluate the lineup. Although there is no evidence yet, there is a possibility: He hopes to observe the Lakers' operating performance before making financial decisions. It is worth noting that news about his willingness to cut his salary last summer was not disclosed until the Lakers successfully selected Brownie. Perhaps he is still open to salary cuts, provided that the Lakers use funds for specific signing targets. The most obvious candidate is best friend Chris Paul, but other signings may also impress him. In this case, the Lakers have the responsibility: if they want to get James' cooperation, they must prove that they are capable of building a championship lineup for him.

The current discussion about James' possible salary cut is still at the speculative level, and existing reports clearly show that James is unlikely to make a major economic sacrifice next season. This is certainly his personal choice, but it will inevitably have a chain reaction. James knew this well, otherwise he would not have offered to cut wages last summer, nor would he make real concessions in 2010, nor would he emphasize in 2013: "I am willing to sacrifice for the team financially, which proves that the pursuit of top players is more than money. The essence of competitive sports is victory, and I am well aware of this."

If the Lakers are determined to strive for the highest honor, the reality path is likely to be that James makes moderate concessions. This has nothing to do with the player's value judgment, and it is by no means implying that players should sacrifice their financial interests for the interests of the team, but because of the cruel salary rules. The Lakers' current lineup is still far from the level of winning the championship in 2026, and the most direct way to strengthen it depends on James' economic compromise. Given that his past employers had wasted his salary cut dividends, his cautious attitude was completely understandable. But if you want to maximize the probability of a fifth championship, this is indeed the most effective bargaining chip in James' hands.

Original text: SamQuinn

Compiled by: Li Taibai