The way the Los Angeles Lakers approached the free agency of LeBron James was the deciding factor in why he decided to leave the franchise this offseason. James remains undecided on which team he will sign with in free agency.
Sources close to James told ESPN that the way the Lakers handled his re-signing process mattered more than the money involved. James reportedly would have accepted less than the $52.6 million he earned last season had the Lakers clearly explained its plan to reallocate that money.
That explanation never came, according to sources, and James never met face-to-face with the organization before making his decision.
One Lakers team source acknowledged the franchise may have fallen short in recognizing what James sacrificed this past season by stepping into a reduced role alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“Honestly, I don’t know if we did enough to acknowledge the sacrifices he made in being willing to give the keys over to Luka and AR this year,” said the staffer. “Of course he has a big ego and people can say what they want about that. But he’s also the No. 1 scorer in the history of basketball and he really tried to do what was best for the team to win.”
A separate team source described the financial dynamic as a disadvantage tied to James’ existing ties with the franchise. Even an offer $10 million to $15 million above market value could have felt like a pay cut, since another team could offer its full allotment, the source explained.
The Lakers held Bird rights that would have allowed them to exceed offers from other teams. Instead, sources indicate the front office spent weeks debating internally how to present a reduced offer without appearing disrespectful toward James’ legacy and contributions.
James ultimately made the decision before the Lakers could formalize their approach, ending an eight-year tenure that included an NBA championship in the 2020 Florida bubble.
This represented a sudden change of mind as a few weeks before the start of free agency, James told Rich Paul that he was “80 percent” sure he would stay with the Lakers for another season.