LeBron James weighing Lakers future as tone of offer looms large

LeBron James is taking his time with the Lakers, and it may come down to more than just money.

People familiar with his thinking told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that how the Lakers present any contract offer will matter as much as the number itself. The message behind it. The plan. The respect.

“The Lakers can’t just offer James a number. They have to offer a why behind that number,” one agent with prior ties to the roster told ESPN. “Their plan for any discount would have to be coherent.”

There is some history here. One source close to James told ESPN the organization tried to “push him out the door” after acquiring Luka Doncic. That feeling lingered at times this season.

James even left Crypto.com Arena following at least one game without changing, still upset over what he viewed as the franchise taking him for granted.

Then came internal discussions that only added to it. According to ESPN, team officials conducted an informal exercise during games, asking an observer to assign a market value to James as if he were an anonymous player.

The full midlevel exception is $14.1 million, though figures in the $20 million to $30 million range were also considered.

For a player of James’ stature, still performing at an All-Star level, that approach did not exactly land well.

Still, this is not over.

“I think it’s up to the Lakers,” a source who attended Game 4 against Oklahoma City told ESPN. “He loves it in L.A.”

James kept it simple when asked about any lingering tension.

“There’s no static from me,” he told ESPN.