“I cannot fathom why LeBron won’t do this move” - Skip Bayless believes LeBron James should take a pay cut like former MVP to help the Lakers get back into contention
LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers haven't had much success lately. After winning a championship in the bubble, the Lakers had two awful seasons. Their biggest success was winning two first-round games.
James has spent the last four years with the Lakers and has one more year left on his contract. However, as of Thursday, August 4, the four-time NBA champion is eligible for a contract extension.
Skip Bayless believes that the 18-time All-Star should take a pay cut to help his team improve and win another championship.
"There's one move that LeBron could make that could maximize his ability to win one more championship," Bayless said on Undisputed. "And this move is so obvious that it just drives me nuts every time I think about it, because I cannot fathom why LeBron won't do this move."
"This move is to go to the Lakers today and say, 'Hey, let's redo this right here, right now, and I will take $25 million, and $25 million for the next two years. I'll take about a half of what I should get,'" the NBA analyst added.
Bayless believes that LeBron James will help the Lakers and help himself with this move. After all, he wants to win another ring, so taking a pay cut would be a smart move.
LeBron James should do what some other players did
Skip Bayless spoke about Tom Brady and Tim Duncan, two amazing athletes who took pay cuts to help their teams. Both of them were in their late 30's when they decided to take pay cuts, and this paid off.
James Harden has also taken a pay cut, despite playing only for a few months for the Philadelphia 76ers. While Harden is not as dominant as James, his move has drastically benefited the team.
"What if LeBron went to the Lakers today and said, 'I will take about half of what I should get to allow you more room on the salary cap to maximize my ability to win'…Look what Harden did in Philly." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/IUKftCB1Ee
The Lakers are in a horrible situation and haven't improved their roster this summer. LeBron James wants to win, but winning with the current roster is almost impossible, especially since many other teams have improved.
The four-time MVP took a pay cut when he signed with the Miami Heat back in 2010, so there is a chance that he will do it again.
How much can LeBron make with the extension?
LeBron James is eligible for a two-year extension that would pay him over $97 million. He is also owed $44.5 next season, which means that if he signs the extension, he will be on the Lakers through 2025. It will result in James being paid more than $141 million for his services.
LeBron James is now eligible to sign his two-year contract extension with the Lakers ⏰👀 https://t.co/yLp3qgAoGJ
James will turn 38 this December and the clock on the fifth championship is ticking. Retiring with four championship rings would be an amazing accomplishment, but LeBron James wants to win at least one more.
Despite being in the late 30's, the Lakers forward has shown no signs of slowing down. He was even one of the best scorers in the league last season with 30.3 points per game.