Annual salary of 52.6 million, slowly from the boss of the team to an outsider! Maybe you really should leave the Lakers

This season's NBA has entered the final stage, and the Thunder's championship is only a matter of time left. The Pacers fell down with Halliburton's injury, and it is difficult for the team to win two games in a row. As the draft and the free trading market are getting closer, Durant's next home is also slowly emerging. According to US media analysis, the Raptors are the most active in pursuing Durant, while the Timberwolves are the most sincere. Instead, Durant likes several next players, such as the Spurs, Rockets and Heat, are lukewarm in pursuing Durant and have a vague attitude. In addition to player transactions, many teams are also changing hands. For example, in the regular season, the Celtics sold at a sky-high price of 6 billion, and the former boss Grossbeck family cashed out at a high price. And as the trading day approaches, the Lakers also sell it! The Buss family eventually sold most of the Lakers' equity to the new boss Walter at a valuation of 10 billion US dollars, but Jenny Buss reserved the right to operate, just like the Celtics. If calculated from the shares, the Bass family originally had 66% of the shares, but now there is 15% left, then the Bass family will make a profit of about $5 billion from selling the Lakers! There is an interesting detail. Column reporter Shebbleben revealed that when the Lakers signed the sales agreement, only Doncic received a text message notification, and James didn't know it! What does this mean? In the words of Los Angeles media reporter Pascal, the Bass family once said that they would do anything to make James happy and ensure that James retired from the Lakers, but the new Lakers management will not be emotional and will abandon some destructive loyalty!

Simplely put, the Lakers' main goal in the future must be to win and compete for the championship! So does this conflict with James' past and future? The answer must be yes! The Lakers have a regular season record of 50 wins and 32 losses this season, happily winning third in the Western Conference. Seeing that the Timberwolves were the first round, Los Angeles media were looking forward to the dialogue between the Western Conference Finals and the Thunder, but the Lakers were eliminated 1-4 in the first round! Although James averaged 25.4 points, 9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game at the age of 40, the Lakers' so-called Big Three combination, Doncic + James + Reeves, did not defend, especially James. When he was on the playoffs, the Lakers' net efficiency value was -11.1, and when he was not present, the Lakers' net efficiency value was +10.9, and James On-Off value was -22!

Before Doncic came, James was the absolute core and leader of the Lakers. Even after winning the 20-year Bubble Park Championship, James made it clear that he handed the baton to Thomas. However, Thomas Thomas had a deep resentment in the Lakers in the past few years, just not wanting to play the No. 5 position. Moreover, because Westbrook's trading operation failed, the team lacked reinforcement assets and was in a daze. In the first half of this season, when the Lakers fell out of the top eight in the Western Conference, it was also the outbreak of James in December and January, pulling the team back to the top six in the Western Conference. But when Doncic comes, everything is different. General Manager Pelinka did not strengthen the center before the trade deadline, which is the fundamental reason why the Lakers are vulnerable in the playoffs, but what is hidden behind this is James' salary issue.

Originally, James' salary next season was $52.63 million, and he could choose the execution player option before June 30. But there are three different endings. If James does not want to retire next summer, he can jump out of the contract and continue to sign a contract worth about $100 million for 2 years; secondly, if James is willing to take the initiative to cut his salary and help the team strengthen and make room for free. According to the salary expert, if James stays with the Lakers with a salary of about 30 million, it will be very helpful for the Lakers' offseason operation, can chase the center and strengthen the front line. The worst case scenario is that James directly executes the 52.6 million player option and is preparing to retire next summer. In this case, the Lakers are very passive because James has a salary of 40 million yuan and can free up up to 16 million after retirement.

As for Lakers' operations alone, they will definitely suffer a big loss. So since the Lakers ended their journey this season, Los Angeles media have been pressured by James and his team to either consider a salary cut or need to find another next player. James has the right to veto the transaction, but if it really touches the right to veto the transaction, then both parties will definitely break up, and there is no need. Take a step back, if James does not cut his salary, the Lakers will continue to compete with this framework for next season, or successfully exchange Reeves for young centers like Clarkston and Kessler. The main system of the Lakers in the new season will become a pick-and-roll launch of Doncic and the center. James will gradually become an outsider both on the court and outside the court, not to mention that he is 41 years old next season.

To put it bluntly, at this stage of James' career, he no longer has the conditions to get a super top salary for a team with the goal of winning the championship! James can still maintain the data standards 20 years ago. Even the key to the Lakers' bottom three in the West this season is James' outbreak before the All-Star Weekend, leading the team out of decline. But there is indeed someone who needs to make sacrifices between the Lakers and James. The Lakers replace the boss, just like the Warriors replace the general manager and clean up the hero Clay. Since Jenny Buss is unwilling to be a bad guy, someone will always break the deadlock. Perhaps James really should leave the Lakers, and it is not ruled out that he will sign and then switch with other teams.