"They're restricted" - NBA analyst hints LeBron James' potential $50 million annual deal prevented Lakers signing Ty Lue
The LA Lakers could pay LeBron James $51.4 million next year if the four-time NBA champ opts into the final year of his extension. While the future Hall of Famer takes some time to mull over the decision ahead of the June 29 deadline, the team has been working to find a new coach. One of the potential targets that was on the team's radar was LA Clippers coach Ty Lue.
In the wake of the Lakers dismissing Darvin Ham, Lue was one of the names that emerged as a potential candidate to replace Ham. Along with the likes of veteran assistant Kenny Atkinson, and former NBA players Sam Cassell and JJ Redick, Lue became one of the names most closely associated with the coaching job.
Despite that, the Clippers then wound up signing Lue to a new long-term deal that will run through the 2028-29 season. The lucrative deal will reportedly see Lue make $14 million per year according to ESPN, which is something that NBA veteran Jay Williams believes the Lakers simply couldn't come close to matching.
As he explained on Thursday's episode of First Take, LeBron James' $50 million player option puts the team's front office in a bind.
"I mean, a lot of people could say, hey, he should have gone to the Lakers. One of the things that people don't recognize, that the Lakers, cap wise, they're restricted because of the money that they're trying to pay LeBron James. LeBron James is set to make 50-plus million dollars per year."
Looking at the LA Lakers' cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season as LeBron James decides whether to opt into the final year of his extension
As previously mentioned, it's unclear whether or not LeBron James will in fact opt into the final year of his extension. As longtime LeBron James insider Brian Windhorst indicated back in February, James is likely to opt in to the final year of his extension in hopes of ending his career in LA.
Nevertheless, Windhorst then indicated on Wednesday morning's episode of Get Up on ESPN that James will likely opt out of the deal. Whether it means James will opt-out and part ways with LA, or opt-out to sign a long-term deal with the franchise remains to be seen.
In the event he remains with the Lakers, the team will be faced with two massive contracts between he and Anthony Davis. At the same time, it's no secret that the franchise is looking to bring in another star.
Rumors have named Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young as potential candidates to pair with the Hall of Fame duo, however, adding in another All-Star poses some problems in regards to cap space.
As Jay Williams explained:
"If they sign another player, you say they want to go to the market to get Trae Young, even though I would advise against that or a Donovan Mitchell or a Paul George. Think about the amount of money."
With just weeks to go before the June 29 deadline for LeBron James to opt out or opt in, it will be interesting to see how things play out.