In James last season, is it a maximum salary or a championship?

No one expected that James, who is in his 40s, is still strong. His performance this season can completely enter the top ten in the league, but he is difficult to lead the Lakers to the finals again. To be precise, James seems to have no hope of winning the championship at all. Even if the Lakers trade to Doncic, a player in the top three levels of the league, the Lakers were still eliminated in the first round. The Lakers James has already paid enough. Even though he chose to cut salary and renew his contract, the Lakers management's operations in recent years seem to have not been very enthusiastic about the championship.

In the upcoming new season, James is also facing his last career choice. He will plan to execute the contract option for the 2025-2026 season, which is worth up to 52.6 million US dollars, but it is obvious that James is not concerned about money now, but the honor of the championship. There are rumors that he may give up this choice. First, he has no hope in the Lakers, and James will not renew his contract for the Lakers again, so he seeks greater contract possibility; second, he leaves the Lakers and joins a team that is fully capable of competing for the championship; third, he returns to his roots, returns to the Cavaliers to play the last season of his career and then retire. It is obvious that the last choice will be difficult for James fans to accept, but no one can escape the shackles of time. Although James wants to win more championships and therefore works hard to extend his career, over the years, James seems to have clearly realized that the Lakers are not an ideal team.

For the Lakers, the team's boss and management have always hoped that James can cut his salary and renew his contract and leave room for strengthening the team to compete for the championship. However, this is an excuse for moral kidnapping to save money only for himself. If the Lakers were not for saving money this season, Mark Williams would be traded, perhaps the Lakers would not lose the series against the Timberwolves, at least in the center position, the Lakers would not suffer any losses. However, all of this is still the stingy Lakers. James really sacrificed too much for the Lakers, and the Lakers did not spend a penny more to help James compete for the championship, so James still wants to stay in the Lakers and there is no need to choose to cut salary and renew the contract again. Of course, the best ending is that James will go to a team that can compete for the championship, realize the greatest value at the end of his career, and then retire gloriously.