There’s a chance LeBron James may choreograph an entirely different kind of last dance than the high scoring egos of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan created, one that could set the stage for a Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.
Unlike Bryant and Jordan, whose last dances were focused on the individual accomplishments of their personal careers as shoot first superstars, the pass first James may take an entirely different approach to the end of his career. Instead of demanding a max contract like Kobe and MJ did at the end, LeBron might be willing to accept less than the max salary to create cap space for the Lakers to sign a third superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That’s a move that not only opens the door for the Lakers to create a dynasty that would last beyond LeBron’s career but also give James opportunities to extend his personal career and honor his legacy with more championships. It’s also a move that might appeal to a selfless superstar like James who’s never been as burdened with taking and making the last shot as Bryant and Jordan nor measured his greatness by points scored or dollars earned.
A close scrutiny of the Los Angeles Lakers’ salary cap machinations clearly shows they believe this is a possibility as there is no way they could sign Antetokounmpo to a max contract without James agreeing to take less. Whether it’s Giannis or another max player, the Lakers know they need to find another superstar to pair with Anthony Davis and ultimately replace LeBron James to maintain the Lakers as an elite championship contender.
Watching LeBron embrace his role as a member of the Lakers and assume the leadership mantle from Kobe Bryant, I’m confident LeBron already has a different kind of last dance in mind as his Lakers’ career comes to a close.
The thing about LeBron that’s impressive is he might even be a better man than he is a basketball player. That’s one thing that made hating him impossible as he grew up. I find myself now being a LeBron James stan whenever others start to claim that Giannis is a better player.
It’s going to be interesting seeing what the Lakers due over the next two years. There’s a good chance Giannis is not going to sign a supermax contract with the Bucks this summer unless the season resumes and Milwaukee can at least make the Finals. If the season is cancelled or the Bucks don’t win the East, then I think Antetokounmpo will delay any decision until he becomes a free agent. That would put the Bucks in a tough situation. Do they try to trade Giannis to make sure they don’t lose him for nothing or rely on hopes of winning next season or a possible sign-and-trade deal summer of 2021?
There are also other options out there for the Lakers that could be even a better fit positionally alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis than Giannis. I think the Lakers even look to pull off a blockbuster trade this summer for an elite backcourt player like Zach LaVine, Jrue Holiday, or Eric Bledsoe in order to bolster than odds of winning next year as well as having a potential sign-and-trade asset for summer of 2021. As LeBron gets closer to the end of his career, there will be multiple opportunities for the Lakers to find a replacement for him and new co-star for AD. If it doesn’t happen summer of 2021, AD will just get better and LeBron could still play at an elite level for a couple more years to give the Lakers time to find his replacement.
LeBron will take less than the max.
The max will also be much less due to drop in salary cap.