The Lakers suddenly received bad news! James is likely to refuse to cut his salary, Reeves Hayes may leave the team

The Lakers were swept by the Timberwolves in this year's playoffs, and James' dream of rushing to the fifth championship was once again failed. This result also made the Lakers' management highly questioned. So, during this offseason, fans want to see the Lakers be able to make big moves in the trading market, strengthen their lineup, and make a comeback next season. The Lakers' reporters recently revealed some inside stories about the Lakers.

First of all, it's about James, who previously signed a two-year $101 million contract with the Lakers and has a player option next season. It is reported that James is likely not to jump out of the contract, and he will choose to execute his $52.6 million player option. The Lakers currently only have a mini middle class special case of $5.7 million. If the Lakers want to get strong reinforcements, James must accept a salary cut. He will probably accept a salary discount of $15 million to $17 million, so that the Lakers can have a full middle class special case. This special case salary can reach $14.1 million, which can allow the Lakers to sign a powerful player. However, according to people familiar with the matter, James is unlikely to accept a salary cut. On the one hand, he had already cut his salary by more than $3 million last year, and on the other hand, the salary cut this time is too large. Of course, fans don’t have to morally kidnap James. After all, salary cuts are love, and not reducing them is the duty.

followed by Reeves, who signed a four-year, $57.83 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2023. The contract expires in 2027 and he has the player option next year. This season's regular season, Reeves performed very well, averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Many fans even named him the top three leader in the league. With Reeves' performance, his current contract can be said to be very worthwhile. Reeves may jump out of contract next summer and try out the free market. The Lakers can only provide Reeves with a four-year, $89 million contract renewal, which is far lower than his expectations. Reeves is expected to pursue a contract with an annual salary of $42.5 million. The Lakers are likely to be unable to keep Reeves, so they may trade Reeves this summer.

Finally, it's about role players. The Lakers' role players performed poorly in this year's playoffs, especially Hayes, who averaged only 1.8 points, 2 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.3 blocks in 7.6 minutes per game. Hayes is dissatisfied with his reduced playing time in the playoffs, which affects the value of the contract. The Lakers are also weighing the value of Hayes. His salary this season is only more than 2 million yuan, and he will become a full free agent in the offseason. However, the team reporter revealed that Hayes' chances of returning next season are very slim. Another role player, Goodwin, is only a player at the end of the roster, but the team reporter believes that the Lakers will execute his contract, and his salary of $2.3 million is very cost-effective.

This year's offseason will be the craziest offseason in NBA history. A large number of stars will be traded. I hope the Lakers can seize the opportunity and strive to strengthen the lineup.