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What Lakers’ LeBron James leaving means for LA’s salary cap space
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- What Lakers’ LeBron James leaving means for LA’s salary cap space
What Lakers' LeBron James leaving means for LA's salary cap space appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
LeBron James ' eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers is coming to an end after the 41-year-old informed the franchise that he will continue his career elsewhere rather than retire. That leaves the door open for the Golden State Warriors to swoop in to sign James as a free agent , although the Cleveland Cavaliers have also reportedly joined the race.
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Regardless, James' exit will also have major implications of the Lakers' financial outlook , per The Athletic's John Hollinger. Removing James' cap hold while accounting for Deandre Ayton 's option, Marcus Smart 's departure, roster holds for Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes , and one minimum roster charge leaves Los Angeles with approximately $50.2 million in cap space to spend on two players, or $51.5 million to split among three players. In addition, the Lakers gain access to the $9 million room exception, giving them another mechanism to immediately strengthen the roster.
James' agent Rich Paul had recently claimed that he was intent on doing what was best for his career and wanted to make the most of each of his remaining seasons. James has been with Los Angeles since 2018 and has decided to move on after eight seasons.
Regardless, Hollinger reported that the Lakers would need to renounce their rights to Marcus Smart, James, Rui Hachimura , Luke Kennard , Maxi Kleber and Nick Smith before utilizing the cap space. After using that room, Los Angeles would still retain the ability to exceed the salary cap in order to re-sign Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes for salaries above their existing cap holds.
As far as Bronny James is concerned, Hollinger noted that Los Angeles actually has slightly more cap room with Bronny under contract than it would with a veteran minimum player occupying the roster spot.
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LeBron leaves Los Angeles following a productive campaign during which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, extending his unprecedented streak to 23 consecutive seasons averaging at least 20 points. He also shot 51.5% from the field while successfully adapting into more of a complementary role alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves.
And while the Warriors are understood to be making an effort to sign him, a return to Cleveland would not be financially straightforward. ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently outlined a potential sign-and-trade framework involving Jarrett Allen . However, whether the Cavs will be willing to offload Allen remains to be seen, and the prospect of a Curry-LeBron duo with the Warriors is a tantalizing prospect for every basketball fan.
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