LeBron James lived up to his word by giving the Los Angeles Lakers a slight discount to keep them out of the second apron, making it easier for them to potentially execute a trade if the right offer comes around.
Per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (starts at 2:35 mark), the Lakers “would prioritize keeping” Jaxson Hayes over Christian Wood and Cam Reddish if they are only looking to dump salary in a trade.
James’ two-year agreement with the Lakers was originally reported to be for the max value of $104 million, but it ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted on Saturday that the four-time MVP gave up around $3 million to keep the team right under the second apron.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted the move allows the Lakers to keep their 2032 first-round draft pick from being frozen in a potential trade next summer.
Hayes, Wood, Reddish and D’Angelo Russell are all entering the final season of their current contracts. They are earning a combined $26.7 million in 2024-25. The Lakers could potentially put together some combination of those deals to bring in a high-quality player if the right deal becomes available.
If the Lakers had gone into the second apron, they would have been prohibited from aggregating multiple contracts in a trade.
Wood’s $3 million salary is slightly more than what Hayes and Reddish ($2.5 million for both) will earn next season. None of them will have significant value in a trade, but the flexibility their contracts offer does open up some possibilities for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to explore.
Hayes appeared in 70 games for the Lakers last season, tying his career high. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest playing primarily off the bench as Anthony Davis’ backup at center.