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LeBron James Urged to Ditch Lakers $164 Million Contract for Shocking Kevin Durant Entice

Published 05/03/2024, 11:46 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The NBA community is still not over the elimination of Los Angeles Lakers from the first round of playoffs. To top it off, Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Curry and Suns forward Kevin Durant, are also out in this year’s championship race. It’s the first time in 20 years that neither Bron, Curry or Durant are playing in the Conference Semi-Finals. Seems like the end of an era, right? But NBA Hall of Famer, Kevin Garnett devised a plan for Lakers superstar to gather the veteran squad together.

While discussing LeBron’s future with ex-teammate Paul Pierce on the show Ticket and the Truth, Garnett said, “If I’m LeBron…and I got KD on one line, CP on one line, Steph on one line…This is the first time, all the superstars can be on one team and go out with a hurrah”.

 

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” However, the situation that Garnett put together in his remark might not be as feasible as he said.

The host further adds, “Bron got the question mark. KD got the question mark. Steph’s probably the only one who don’t have a question mark. Im just talking about all this older talent, that’s ready to go out of the league”.

As per the co-hosts, it is ideal for LeBron to be on a much younger team, where he doesn’t have to do much. Right now, at his age, he is leading a team majorly, which isn’t well-suited for him. Probably that explains the question marks; he is tired and low on energy. He does deserve another chance at a ring, but at what cost? If Russell and others are going to disappoint him just like this season, what’s the point really of leading such a team? This is possibly why there’s a chance of people dissecting the fact that all the legends should be on one team. But how viable is that?

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry on one team?

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Lakers are reportedly ready to offer James a 3-year, $164 million contract, and are in a desperate attempt to keep him in LA, they’re even ready to draft his son, Bronny. King James also has a player option this summer, but there’s a slight chance he might opt out and seek a new contract to get that “championship”. His agent, Rich Paul, also said that James still has 2 or 3 more seasons left in the NBA. So, if he does change sides and ditches the LA side, he could very well team up with Durant and Curry rather than relying on the disappointment that the Lakers were earlier this season. He would rid himself of D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince, and the struggles to carry on the team, all by himself.

Plus, James is now more open to exploring rather than sticking with the decision of playing with his son, Bronny. It’s no longer a priority for him, as per several reports.

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Kevin Durant might be available for a contract extension for two years with $105 million. Plus, Steph Curry isn’t going to move from the Warriors until the end of his contract in the 2025-26 season. So, it would make more sense that they all come together in the Golden State since they’re already eyeing Durant for the upcoming season. But there’s still a catch here. Even though they are champions, MVPs, and aging athletes full of energy, they’re still aging.

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Accumulating such veterans on one team might not be a long-lasting solution. They will need the support of young players to help them realize their dreams once again. Moreover, Steph has a base salary of about $55 million. If the teams combine the base salaries of James, Durant, and Curry, all of the money will go down the drain just by having them on the roster.

Therefore, Kevin Garnett’s remark still seems like a dream far away. However, LeBron’s future at the Lakers still has hope, but clouds of doubt are still hovering over the minds of the NBA community.

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Written by:

Krishna Shukla

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Krishna Shukla is an NBA Writer at Essentially Sports. After working extensively across different divisions at ES, his love for Kobe enticed him into the world of basketball. He specializes in reconstructing basketball podcasts in his writing, along with writing injury reports.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja