LeBron James Open to Pay Cut as Lakers Eye Klay Thompson in Free Agency

In a surprising turn of events, LeBron James is reportedly willing to take a pay cut in order to help the Los Angeles Lakers sign a star player using their midlevel exception. Speculations point to the Lakers showing interest in Golden State Warriors' shooting guard, Klay Thompson, as a potential option.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, there is "mutual interest" between the Lakers and Thompson as the NBA star enters free agency. Thompson, who has ties to the Lakers organization through his father, Mychal, is said to prefer staying in the Western Conference and on the West Coast. Other possible destinations for Thompson could be the other Los Angeles team or the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers' flexibility in the free agency market will depend on the contract terms negotiated by LeBron James, who recently opted out of his current deal and becomes an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. While it is widely expected that James will continue his tenure with the Lakers, his willingness to take a pay cut demonstrates his commitment to improving the team's roster.

Agent Rich Paul confirmed James's focus on roster improvement, stating, "He is prioritizing a roster improvement. He's been adamant about exuding all efforts to improve the roster." To fully utilize their midlevel exception of $12.9 million, James would need to reduce his salary by approximately $16 million.

Reports suggest that Klay Thompson, along with James Harden and Jonas Valančiūnas, are among the veteran players that James is willing to take a pay cut for. Thompson's willingness to accept a midlevel offer would come as a surprise, considering he declined a two-year, $48 million extension with the Warriors last season. Taking a substantially lower deal would indicate a deteriorated relationship between Thompson and the Warriors, as the team is very likely to match or exceed the midlevel to retain him.

As the free agency period begins, fans eagerly await confirmation on LeBron James's new contract and potential moves by the Lakers to bolster their roster. The pursuit of Klay Thompson adds an intriguing dynamic to the mix, as the Lakers look to build a formidable team to compete in the Western Conference.