LeBron James has maximized his value at almost every step of his NBA career. Approaching what could be his swan song in the league, his motivations have changed.<\/p>\n
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on his Hoop Collective podcast that “the No. 1 thing for LeBron next season is happiness, not money” (38:30 mark).<\/p>\n
Windhorst said there’s a broad acceptance James will make far less than his $52.6 million<\/a> salary from 2025-26. The extent of his inevitable pay cut is a little less clear.<\/p>\n Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor<\/a> reported the Golden State Warriors have their eyes on not only signing James but also acquiring Anthony Davis to reunite the former Los Angeles Lakers teammates.<\/p>\n Anthony Slater<\/a> of ESPN followed up to report Draymond Green is turning down his $27.6 million player option with an eye toward Golden State making upgrades to the roster.<\/p>\n On the Lakers, meanwhile, Windhorst reported in the podcast they have’t had substantial conversations with LeBron about a new contract. NBA insider Chris Haynes<\/a> reported that’s likely to change since the Warriors are making such an aggressive play.<\/p>\n In general, there will be more considerations for James than his personal happiness. He’s presumably not going to sign with a team expected to finish near the bottom of the NBA standings.<\/p>\n If his price comes down enough, then basically any team with ambitions to contend could make a run at him. <\/p>\n Perhaps this is the first summer since his 2010 move to the Miami Heat that James keeps a pretty open mind. LeBron returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 and then heading west to Los Angeles in 2018 both felt pretty carefully orchestrated in advance.<\/p>\n