NBA free agency: Tracker, live updates, trades as LeBron James, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey form the 2024 major league

Reports that LeBron James was open to less salary after James opted out of his $51.4 million for the 2024-2025 season to become a free agent surprised many rival executives this weekend. James has achieved his ultimate maximum average annual value since leaving Miami in the summer of 2014. But at age 40, entering year 22, James has the greatest motivation to make less on the Lakers’ cap, while making millions from the Lakers’ revenue. court, to give Los Angeles the flexibility to prosecute someone like Klay Thompson, with the complete exception at the mid-level.

League personnel with knowledge of the situation believe Thompson is the Lakers’ top target at this point, and Jonas Valančiūnas is still being mentioned as a veteran center on Los Angeles’ radar. The Lakers have also explored trade scenarios involving the contracts of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, sources said, and Brook Lopez is among the top options on the Lakers’ board of potential acquisitions, sources said.

It’s important to note that James is eager to take a pay cut and the overall structure of a potential three-year deal for one of the sport’s best players would depend on the type of talent Los Angeles can attract and how much the salary cap is paid, sources said.