LeBron James' refusal to go the Tim Duncan route could hurt Lakers

LeBron James made the All-NBA Second Team this season, an honor that solidifies the Lakers star as a top-10 player at age 40.

A top-10 player should warrant a maximum-level salary regardless of their age. As such, James has earned the right to exercise his $54M player option for the 2025-26 season, which he's expected to do, per ESPN's Shams Charania. 

That said, one wonders if James is hurting his chances at winning a fifth championship by not foregoing monetary rewards. If and when he opts into his contract, the Lakers will have committed nearly $200M in guaranteed salaries for the 2025-26 season. As a result, they will have only the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected at $5.7M) to sign a free agent. Their only other option for improving the roster would be through trades and signing veterans on minimum salaries.

It was evident during the Lakers' playoff loss to the Timberwolves that they need size, both on the interior and the wings, to compete with the powerhouses in the West. Their chances of adding any substantial help will take a severe blow if James opts into his contract.

This was not the approach taken by Tim Duncan, another all-time great, during the twilight years of his career. The icon played on an average salary of $10.1M when the Spurs reached back-to-back NBA Finals in 2013 and 2014. Mind you, he was still a top-10 player at the time, making All-NBA, All-Defensive and All-Star teams each year. 

Duncan's financial sacrifice enabled the Spurs to bolster their roster with quality role players such as Boris Diaw, Patty Mills and Danny Green, all of whom were key contributors to their 2014 title win, while also retaining Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. In his final contract, Duncan took an even bigger pay cut, making an average salary of $5.4M, to ensure the Spurs could sign LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent and pay Kawhi Leonard the rookie-maximum extension.

None of those moves would have been possible without Duncan's selflessness. The Spurs wouldn't have won the 2014 NBA championship if Duncan had insisted on being paid his true worth.

Perhaps James could take a page out of Duncan's book. Last year, he reportedly left $2.7M on the table to help the Lakers get under the second apron. He was also willing to take a bigger pay cut for the team to sign Klay Thompson, who chose the Mavericks. It would be a shame if he doesn't make an even bigger sacrifice this year to help his team.