POSTED ON JULY 4, 2024 BY SAM PASFIELD

LeBron James’ former teammate Kendrick Perkins has shed light on why LeBron and the Lakers franchise aren’t on the same page.

Before James re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year $104 million max deal, it was being reported that he was willing to take a pay cut so the Lakers could sign a big-name player.

Perk already publicly voiced his disbelief, saying earlier this week that the league’s greatest scorer wouldn’t actually be willing to do that.

He’s now doubled down on his take and given his honest thoughts about why the storied franchise could be in trouble.

“The GOAT does it again. King James’ longevity… another $100 million in his bank account,” Perkins said on ESPN‘s First Take. “He actually took the max dollars. When he gave Rob Pelinka more than enough time to do something. He said he was going to take a pay cut. For Rob Pelinka to go out there and search the market… We all know that LeBron James wanted Klay Thompson – they missed out on that to the Dallas Mavericks.

“I don’t know how because all he had to do was offer something of nice quality to the Golden State Warriors to make a sign-and-trade happen. But he dropped the ball on that. Here’s the thing when it comes down to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers right now.

 

“To me, it seems like they’re on two different pages. When it comes down to LeBron, the reason he wanted to take a pay cut is for the simple fact that he wants to win now at a high level. Every single time he steps on the floor, LeBron James is thinking about championships.

“Rob Pelinka is thinking about the future. I think when you have someone like LeBron James, who is considered one of the greatest if not the greatest player of all time, you got to take advantage of that, do what you need to do to make sure you put championship-caliber players around him so he can go out and complete the mission.”

READ MORE: Why Everyone Is Wrong About Bronny James’ Contract

Woj Delivers Bad News For Lakers Fans

POSTED ON JULY 3, 2024 BY NICK JUNGFER

Every offseason, the Lakers are reported to be chasing an extensive list of big names, and every offseason, they fall short. This familiar script appears to be repeating this summer too.

The Lakers have been linked to everyone from Trae Young, to Donovan Mitchell, to Klay Thompson.

But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are up against it when it comes to making moves.

“It’s a very limited market out there,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter on Wednesday. “It’s a limited trade market unless you want to put draft picks with contracts to get money off, you’re going to have trouble really adding to your roster.

“I don’t expect the Lakers to look a whole lot different on opening night than they do now. There’s some moves around the edges, (but) I don’t sense there’s a big impact move out there for the Lakers or very many teams right now.”

LA missing out on Thompson was especially rough considering they offered him more money than the Mavericks. But he chose Dallas anyway because of the Mavs’ ability to compete for a championship and Texas’ lack of income tax.

The Lakers were even knocked back by the man who was supposedly their number one coaching target, UConn’s Dan Hurley. After flying to LA and meeting with the team, Hurley chose to stay with the Huskies.

 

The last time the Lakers landed a true superstar was when they acquired Anthony Davis in 2019. In fairness, that move did lead to a championship the following season.

But since then, the franchise appears to have slipped a long way from the days when they could seemingly sign whoever they wanted.

Their one potential saving grace this offseason would be if they managed to sign DeMar DeRozan, the clear-cut best remaining free agent on the market.

A 34-year-old DeRozan won’t make the Lakers legitimate contenders, but it would save face for a front office under immense pressure to get LeBron James some additional help in the final years of his career.

READ MORE: Bronny James Addresses Doubters in First Day With Lakers

Why Everyone Is Wrong About Bronny James’ Contract

POSTED ON JULY 3, 2024 BY JORDAN SAVILLE

Bronny James is no stranger to criticism, and he started taking even more heat online on Wednesday when ESPN reported that his contract would be a four-year deal worth $7.9 million.

Twitter (X) immediately blew up with folks in disbelief that someone drafted 55th overall would be given a four-year deal, with the cries of nepotism reaching fever pitch.

But NBA insider Sam Vecenie of The Athletic was quick to push back against that narrative.

“Guys, Bronny’s contract is not out of line with other picks in the 50s for teams looking to save money,” he tweeted. “Chris Livingston got 4 yrs, multiple guaranteed years at 58th in 2023. “TJD got the same at 57. Camara got the same at 52. This does happen.

“I’ve probably been among the more public draft folks out there saying that I don’t love Bronny as a player and think this whole thing is wild, but truly: Bronny or any other player getting this deal when selected this low is more a function of salary cap/new CBA than his game.”

 

While Bronny’s deal is not unheard of, it’s also true that many second-round picks are offered much less, such as short-term non-guaranteed contracts.

However, Bronny won’t have everything easy next season. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, he’ll spend the majority of the year in the G League.

In the immediate term, Bronny will make his Summer League debut for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic on Saturday.

READ MORE: Bronny James Addresses Doubters in First Day With La