James Worthy has been a vocal critic and supporter of LeBron James, ripping him for crucial turnovers and praising him for taking on more off-ball responsibilities. The former Los Angeles Lakers legend is now a studio analyst for Spectrum Sportnet and he knows the heartbeat of the team. The Purple and Gold franchise is currently facing one of the most difficult summer decisions as it constructs a roster around Luka Doncic.

Finding wing players and rim protectors is a priority, and so is extending Austin Reaves’ contract. But the first domino remains the return or departure of Bron. But Worthy sees a place on the roster for the 41-year-old.

“Didn’t see too many players that played better than he did this year,” Worthy said to Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor. ” And when I looked at his numbers and I look at Shai’s numbers, they were, I mean, I haven’t seen any athlete like this. He’s a max player. The question is he willing to not be a max player and take less? Otherwise, I don’t know because if he’s got to get paid and Austin’s got to get paid, then we’re gonna have to deal with a similar situation we did this year, which wasn’t bad.”

The Lakers legend highlights LeBron James’ elite production, love for LA, and family ties, while noting salary cap pressures could force tough roster decisions if he demands full max pay. Dealing with constant sciatica issues and role change responsibilities, the 22x All-Star still powered the Lakers to fourth in the regular season. And without Luka Doncic and AR for the better parts of the playoffs, King James was the lone superstar. According to Worthy, spending big on James won’t be a problem. Even the front office has no problem with the 4x NBA champion coming back.

General manager Rob Pelinka has publicly expressed a desire to retain both LeBron James and Austin Reaves. They currently have approximately $90 million in empty cap space for 2026-27 before entering the luxury tax room and potentially going into the first or second apron. They still need five new additions to the team and won’t likely have enough to pay both Bron and AR a $40 million contract each.

So, if they sign the two stars, they may not have the money to build a championship-contending roster around them. The reports suggest the Lakers have already thought of who is more important between the two.

Lakers reportedly don’t view LeBron James as a priority

“If it comes down to, would you rather pay Austin 40 million for the next five years or LeBron 40 million for one year, they’re going to prioritize the long-term contract here,” Jovan Buha said on Buha’s Block on May 30. “Austin is more of a priority for the Lakers than LeBron is. That’s just a fact. The second part of it is that Austin is going to have a market.” Buha suggested that Reaves has more negotiating leverage than Bron.

While LeBron James produced another stellar campaign, AR had his best season, averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists. Which is why even Luka Doncic has indicated that he wants the 28-year-old as his long-term running mate. Reaves can handle the ball, create his own shots, and has been on record about retiring with the Purple and Gold franchise. That’s why the decision regarding LeBron remains an important one.

Now, the decision could become easier if Bron takes a pay cut (his vet minimum will be just under $4 million). Thus, AR can then sign his five-year contract and the Lakers will have enough space to build the championship roster.