The Golden State Warriors' interest in LeBron James is ramping up ahead of free agency, but the franchise could still be winners from the situation even if the superstar forward ultimately re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers.
If the lure of joining Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and company at the Warriors is strong enough for James, then it may be enough of a threat to force the Lakers into paying overs just to retain the 41-year-old.
Warriors could still be winners if LeBron re-signs with Lakers
According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, James and his management will start negotiations at a max contract and work from there on a deal to keep him at the Lakers for a ninth season and potentially beyond.
Max is where LeBron will start negotiations, what he feels he has earned (and in terms of the revenue he drives for a team, he’s not wrong). Good luck finding anyone around the league who thinks that’s his salary next season. The real question is how big a pay cut he is willing to take, because — as he showed in the playoffs — he still brings real value on the court, too," Helin wrote.
Sure, James won't be getting the max, but strong interest from Golden State still puts the 4x MVP in a strong position when it comes to leverage with Los Angeles in negotiations. The Lakers, for example, might start with a deal at $25-30 million for next season. That would still be significantly more than the Warriors' projected $15.1 million offer at the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but James could signal that he'd prefer to sign that than take the $25 million on offer from the Lakers.
Perhaps Golden State just prove a leverage tool for James to pry more money from Rob Pelinka, but that could prove a win for the Warriors if the deal ends up closer to $40 million per season. Signing James at the non-taxpayer mid-level exception would be immense value, but the Lakers paying him closer to $40 million would raise some question marks so deep into his career.
LeBron overpay could significantly impact Lakers' roster-building
If the Warriors force the Lakers into overpaying James and subsequently inhibiting their potential for other moves, that's a win given their status as a direct rival in the pacific division who they see four times during the regular season.
Combine that with a potential overpay on Austin Reaves' new deal, and the Lakers may find themselves stuck with little flexibility and a good but not great team just as Luka Doncic enters what should be his absolute prime.
The Lakers, of course, may see right through James using the Warriors as a leverage tool, with doubts remaining on whether Golden State can truly convince the 22x All-Star to join them this summer.
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