Lakers Have Major LeBron James Problem Heading Into Offseason

As the Los Angeles Lakers head into the upcoming offseason, they have a lot of questions to answer. One of those surrounds star forward LeBron James and whether he will return to the organization next season.

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James is eligible to opt out of his deal with the Lakers to become a free agent, or he could simply retire. This is something that he has spoken about at length in recent seasons.

But no matter what James does, the Lakers may be in some trouble. There have been some who wondered whether James would accept a pay cut to help Los Angeles build a stronger team.

However, it seems that the star forward may not even be entertaining the idea. According to insiders Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, James is not expected to take a pay cut this summer.

"If James returns to the Lakers, though, league sources say he's not expected to consider the kind of pay cut that was in play around this time a year ago. Last summer, James took a discount of approximately $2.7 million to help the Lakers stay under the second apron and maintain roster flexibility."

Assuming James likely opts into his $52.6 million deal for next season, the Lakers could have very few routes for success. Due to his high salary, Los Angeles won't have much room to build a team around him and co-star Luka Doncic.

While James is still a very good player, he is 40 years old. This plays into a lot for the Lakers, and could be a real problem going forward.

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James has missed time due to injury almost every season with the Lakers, and it's hurt the team on the court. Even in the postseason this year, James wasn't healthy as he dealt with a lingering groin injury.

Additionally, James suffered an additional issue during the postseason before the Lakers were eliminated. During Game 5, James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, so if the Lakers had kept the series alive, he would have missed time.

While this injury likely won't impact next season, it does mean recovery time for James over the offseason. Both Los Angeles and James have some big decisions to make this summer, but it does seem like the partnership will continue.

For the Lakers to be successful next season, they will need to get creative in terms of roster building. But if James is insistent on making the maximum amount, which he is 100 percent entitled to do, it could hinder the team overall.

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