NBA executive: 'I'd pay LeBron whatever he wants'

Whether LeBron James stays with the Los Angeles Lakers for next season will likely at least partly hinge on how much money the Lakers offer him. While they're projected to have up to roughly $50 million in salary cap space this offseason, they may not offer him the type of money he has been accustomed to making.

James made $52.6 million this season, but there is a real chance the team will offer him something substantially less than that, if for no other reason than to maintain salary-cap flexibility in order to re-sign other players on its roster who will be free agents and secure at least one outside free agent. It remains to be seen how much of a pay cut he will accept, or if he will accept any real pay cut at all.

According to an ESPN report, one Eastern Conference team strategist feels the 41-year-old still deserves something close to a max contract this summer.

"By our metrics, he remains a top-25 player in the league and if not for his age, we'd probably assess him at near max player level," one Eastern Conference team strategist told ESPN.

"Our coaches would tell you he ranks even higher than that when his legs and back are feeling good."

If James won't take a pay cut, the Lakers may only have two choices: offer him as much money as he wants, run it back with virtually the same roster and punt on building a championship-caliber roster around Luka Doncic for at least one year, or let James leave and start the process of building around Doncic in earnest.

One Eastern Conference executive says the Lakers should cave into James' demands because, according to him, it would be "good business."

"I'd pay LeBron whatever he wants as long as it's a one-year deal, no player option. Give him the no-trade clause," an East executive said. "Everything [new Lakers owner Mark] Walter has done so far has been about good business.