There was talk in recent days that perhaps LeBron James would take a pay cut on his next Los Angeles Lakers contract in order to allow the team to sign a difference-maker using their mid-level exception. However, one target after another said no to the Lakers, and James ended up officially signing on Saturday for a tad below the maximum salary they could’ve offered him.
As a result, they remain below the second apron of the NBA’s new ultra-restrictive salary cap.
If the Lakers do a bit of maneuvering, they could have access to their taxpayer mid-level exception. Per Jovan Buha and Shams Charania, Gary Trent Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie could then be targets (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via The Athletic:
“LeBron James is taking a nearly $3 million discount to keep the Los Angeles Lakers under the dreaded second apron,” Buha and Charania wrote. “James is signing a two-year, $101.355 million deal instead of the two-year, $104 million maximum he could’ve re-signed for, according to league sources.
“Along with his player option and a no-trade clause, James’ contract also includes a 15 percent trade kicker, those sources said.
“James’ new contract puts the Lakers at just under the $188.9 million second apron. If the Lakers can salary dump a couple of their veteran minimum contracts — attaching a second-round pick to entice a trade partner — they’d create two roster spots and the flexibility to use the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. The Lakers have preferred to enter previous seasons with only 14 players on their roster for flexibility in trades and on the buyout market.
“Gary Trent Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie are two names to watch for if the Lakers clear enough space to use their taxpayer midlevel exception, according to league sources.”
Trent is a 3-and-D wing who the Lakers have tried to obtain in the past. He averaged 13.7 points a game while hitting 39.3% from 3-point range this past season for the Toronto Raptors. At 6-foot-5, he would create a logjam at the shooting guard position for L.A., but he would likely be a better defender than Max Christie, Austin Reaves or first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht.
Dinwiddie came to the Lakers from the buyout market in February. The Southland native was a disappointment this past season while with L.A., but he has been productive in the past, and the hope is that he could return to that level of play under a better coaching staff.
