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"You go to LeBron in partnership" - Brian Windhorst reveals the only way James would agree to a pay cut
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- "You go to LeBron in partnership" - Brian Windhorst reveals the only way James would agree to a pay cut
LeBron James , who will be entering his 24th season come October, still manages to make headlines with his free agency status. Wrapping up his eighth season with the Los Angeles Lakers , the veteran continues to play at a high level, as was evident, especially during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets .
Now, due for a new contract, the Lakers management may have certain apprehensions about paying James max dollars, especially with Luka Doncic being projected as the future of the franchise. Add to that the fact that their roster is still missing certain pieces pivotal to winning a championship, especially at the center position, given DeAndre Ayton 's underwhelming season.
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As the off-season kicks in, there is still enough time before James and the Lakers finalize things. Meanwhile, as expected, the media is leaving no stone unturned in addressing all possible scenarios. However, some voices cannot be ignored, one such being that of Brian Windhorst , who has been covering James since his high school days in Akron.
Sharing his assessment of the James situation lately, the ESPN Insider did not rule out the possibility of the four-time MVP agreeing to a salary discount.
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"If they came to LeBron and said, 'LeBron, if you reduce your salary from 50 million to 20 million, we can have Walker Kesler.' LeBron would be like, 'Hey, listen, man, I don't know for sure,' but probably he'd be like, 'Listen, man. That sounds great. I would love to have Walker Kesler back there," said Windy, mentioning Kesler, who reportedly rejected a five-year $140 million contract extension from the Utah Jazz .
Likely to re-sign with the Purple and Gold
For the last couple of weeks, there have been several social media speculations and narratives about LeBron's future, with many implying how he could end up signing with the Golden State Warriors . Regardless, the Lakers are not going anywhere, and, in all likelihood, they will work something out with James, who, again, is open to a pay cut for the right reasons.
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"LeBron wants to be a partner. Not necessarily picking the player, but he wants to be a partner in it… You go to LeBron in partnership, you know, at this point. And I think there's a reasonable chance they can get there. LeBron and the Lakers will talk, and I would suspect that they are going to come to a place that they both can live with," elaborated Windhorst, admitting that it may not be the ideal situation for either party.
That said, the Lakers had a fairly successful 2025-26 season, finishing with 50+ wins. And had it not been for the injuries to their Top 2 scorers in Doncic and Austin Reaves , the dynamics in the West could have been different.
That aside, it seemed unlikely that the Lakers would overcome teams such as the OKC Thunder , San Antonio Spurs or Denver Nuggets in a seven-game series. Much of it has to do with Coach JJ Redick still missing some pieces on his roster, particularly a dominant big man.
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The options on the table
No matter what stage of his career, there will never be a shortage of suitors when it comes to King James. Although his agent, Rich Paul, claims to have received calls from several teams showing interest in his No. 1 client, LeBron is most likely to re-sign with the Purple and Gold.
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As far as heading to the Bay Area is concerned, it seems a distant possibility. At the same time, if there were ever a chance for James to sign with another team at this stage, it would be the Cleveland Cavaliers , given their shared history and hometown connection.
Nevertheless, fans and the media may want to exercise some patience, considering James is in no hurry to make any commitment as of now and would first like to spend some time with his family as the summer kicks in.
Related: Iman Shumpert names the most dominant version of LeBron James
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
