LeBron James Takes Pay Cut To Help Lakers Sign Star Player

Photo: Instagram/LeBron James

LeBron James has agreed to a smaller salary in his new two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers to give the team more financial flexibility. He explained his decision in an interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin, highlighting his strong partnership with the Lakers.

"We're in a relationship, and relationships are about commitment," James said. "It's about doing things to help both sides. We've been working together for seven years, and that's what it's about."

James left nearly $3 million on the table to help the Lakers avoid a hefty tax penalty. Rich Paul, his agent from Klutch Sports, revealed that LeBron was willing to take an even bigger pay cut to free up $12.9 million for the team to sign a star player. The Lakers aimed to sign Klay Thompson, James Harden, Jonas Valanciunas, or DeMar DeRozan, but they were unsuccessful.

Photo: Instagram/LeBron James

"It takes two to tango," James said. "Our front office and coaching staff tried their best to get players, but it didn’t happen. That's part of the business. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. We move on and look to improve."

Despite missing out on those big names, the Lakers will mostly keep the same roster. James remains positive about their chances.

"We've done it before, and we still have me and Anthony Davis, who commit to excellence and winning," he said. "We can still succeed. We were in the Western Conference Finals just a year ago. Last year didn't go as well, but we're not far off."

LeBron also praised the Lakers for drafting his son, Bronny James, in the second round. Despite criticism that Bronny wasn't deserving of the pick, LeBron said his son doesn't let it bother him.

"Bronny doesn't care about what people say," he said. "When I was a rookie, I cared about people liking me. He doesn't. He's the coolest and the complete opposite of his dad."

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Source: Hoops Rumors