LeBron James has a tough decision to make, heading into the off-season. He has yet to decide on the pending player option. Importantly, King James has to tactically decide whether to sign it or opt out and re-sign a fresh contract depending on the benefits that he could reap. As confusing as it sounds, Eric Pincus, a veteran NBA reporter, urged the superstar to take a pay cut to save the Lakers’ cause with a larger plan in mind.

Featuring alongside The Athletic’s Jovan Buha in the Buha’s Block podcast, Pincus broke into Buha’s big question. Addressing the looming doubt, he listed out the possibilities of what James could do with his player option in the summer. He can sign it and extend the contract after a year, which will take a hit on the cap space. His opting out and resigning will result in a pay cut of at least $2 million, but it will create room in the cap space.

In return, LeBron James could get leverage from the LA Lakers. Taking over the conversation from where Buha left off, Pincus brought the upcoming new TV rights deal into the picture. He added, “It’s getting a lot of money which is great for business but it means that the cap…. the year after should go up about 10%.” 

Building on that, Pincus suggested that James sign the player option with his $51 million annual pay deal and extend the contract the next year with an almost $5 million increase in his annual pay. At the same time, he reflected on the Lakers’ cause and said that if the Akron Hammer opted out and re-signed with a lesser contract, he could come up with a “No trade clause” as leverage.

Nevertheless, while the players may benefit from the upcoming TV Right deal, it could be curtains for the beloved Shaq & Co., the iconic Inside Guys show. The latest reports stated that TNT failed to make the TV rights deal.

Would LeBron James stay with the Lakers?

While Jovan Buha and Eric Pincus discussed LeBron James’ possible decision with a player option, they didn’t touch upon the possibility of him leaving the franchise after opting out. In the last decade, the Lakers have struggled to find the right mix and coach, in fact, this is a concern even after winning the 2020 championship. That’s why James, taking a pay cut would save the Lakers, as they can strengthen the roster.

Already with the dismissal of their coach Darvin Ham, they have to hire a new coach before it’s too late. At the same, the question of the superstar’s future with the franchise also popped up. Speaking on that, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe made a strong case for why the superstar won’t continue with the Lakers.

Sharpe pointed out how James would follow Bronny to whichever franchise that would draft him. While the Lakers have shown interest in drafting the 19-year-old, Sharpe took a dig at the current Lakers management for their inability to develop stars from scratch. He presented a list of potential stars whom the Lakers blew by trading them and leaving them in free agency. “They didn’t develop Brandon Ingram, they didn’t develop Lonzo Ball… Julius Randle,” he asserted, along with many more names.

Do you think LeBron James would continue with the Lakers? Let us know in the comments.