Lakers salary crisis!

With the Timberwolves blackmailed 6, the Lakers' journey this season has officially come to an end, and for Pelinka, his work has just begun.

He emphasized at the season summary meeting that the team is currently selling Doncic, James and Reeves, and his job is to strengthen the center this summer. In this round of series, the Lakers' three cores did not perform well, but they were also fulfilling their own work. More reasons for the team's elimination were attributed to the inside problem. Without a suitable center forward, the Lakers' inside line was beaten by Randle and Gobert in this round of matchup.

In addition to strengthening the lineup, Doncic and James' contract is also a problem, and the two have now renewed their contracts. There are many options for signing a contract with Doncic. First of all, according to regulations, starting from August 3, he can sign a four-year, $229 million maximum salary renewal contract with the Lakers.

Of course, he can also choose to sign $165 million for three years (the last year player option). After executing this contract, he also completed the 10-year veteran clause of the league, and at that time he can sign a super maximum salary that accounts for 35% of the salary space. That is to say, in the offseason in 2028, he can sign a five-year, $418 million super maximum salary contract with the Lakers.

For Doncic, sources revealed that the Lakers will meet any requirements for his contract structure.

Compared to Dongzi, James's is relatively simple. He currently has a player option worth $52.6 million in the 2025-26 season. He can choose to jump out of the contract and sign a three-year, $175 million contract with the Lakers.

Because his career is long enough and continues, James' total salary in his career has exceeded $580 million.

If Doncic and James renew their contracts, the Lakers' salary space will be quite tight. According to the latest report from The Athletic, if LeBron James renews his contract with the Lakers, he will no longer accept a salary cut plan.

Sources revealed: "If James chooses to stay in the Lakers, he is unlikely to take the initiative to cut his salary as he did last summer." This statement directly impacted the Lakers management's strengthening plan this summer, and also greatly reduced the team's salary flexibility. In the 2023 offseason, James cut his salary by about $2.7 million, helping the Lakers avoid reaching the second rich line ($188.9 million), allowing the team to retain the flexibility of trading and signings.

However, at that time, the Lakers did not receive any good signings, and this time, the 40-year-old James seemed to not want to trust the Lakers' management too much.

Should the Lakers meet the huge salary requirements, or risk finding a new core?