LeBron James and the Lakers agreed Wednesday to a two-year deal that includes a no-trade clause and a player option for next season for either the maximum or close to it — a sign that his willingness to take a significant pay cut to aid in the team’s effort to build a better roster has expired.
According to people with knowledge of the talks but not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers and James’ representatives are discussing the possibility of taking money off the two-year, $104 million max contract to keep the Lakers’ under the “second apron” for team payrolls.