Retirement countdown! Lakers expected to ask LeBron James for a significant pay cut; ticket prices for Knicks away game soar because of him

On January 30th Beijing time, following the Lakers’ crushing loss to the Cavaliers, LeBron James addressed the topic of retirement, saying he hasn’t planned a farewell tour yet, though the idea of retirement occasionally surfaces.

No one knows if LeBron will declare his retirement after this season ends; even if he opts to continue playing for another year, it remains unclear whether he will remain with the Lakers, go back to Cleveland, or sign with another title-contending team to pursue another championship ring.

Insider Adrian Wojnarowski stated, “After the season—whenever the Lakers’ season concludes—LeBron will face two major decisions. First, whether he wants to play another season. His stance is clear; he himself currently has no answer, and I believe that. Second, if he decides to return, how much salary is he willing to accept. Because the Lakers will almost certainly ask him to take a pay cut, potentially a significant one.”

He also questioned whether LeBron would be willing to take a pay cut like Dirk Nowitzki did in his final years with the Dallas Mavericks to help rebuild the team. LeBron’s salary this season is $52 million.

Wojnarowski noted that as long as LeBron wants to come back, the Cavaliers have several options to make the signing happen, but he also admitted that both the Cavaliers and Lakers are in similar situations where they cannot offer him the kind of max contract he used to receive.

In his 23-year career, LeBron has earned nearly $600 million just from NBA salaries, plus countless earnings from endorsements and business investments, making him extremely wealthy. Perhaps joining the Golden State Warriors could be a better choice for him, allowing a dream super team pairing with Stephen Curry.

After playing alongside each other in the 2024 Olympics, the temptation to team up with Curry is undoubtedly huge. Additionally, the possibility of joining the Knicks to chase a championship cannot be ruled out. Of course, he might also feel that he has already achieved everything in his illustrious career and has nothing left to prove.

Wojnarowski mentioned that family considerations are also a key factor. LeBron’s family currently resides in Los Angeles; Bronny plays for the Lakers. His youngest son Bryce is a freshman at the University of Arizona, and his 11-year-old daughter Zhuri attends school in California and is an active volleyball player.

When LeBron decided to leave Cleveland for Miami, it shook the entire league. Now at 41 years old, his decision this summer will attract a similar level of attention.

According to reports, on February 2nd, LeBron will lead the Lakers in an away game against the New York Knicks. This might be his last time playing at Madison Square Garden in his career. Tickets for this game won’t come cheap if you want to watch in person.

Data from the ticket platform Gametime shows that the average ticket price for the Lakers vs. Knicks game has reached $912, marking the highest NBA regular-season ticket price since Kobe Bryant’s retirement game on April 13, 2016 (when the average was $1,049). The lowest ticket price for this game is also $457.

LeBron has not announced that this season will be his final one, but he admits that it’s a possibility. On Wednesday, during the only regular-season away game against his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was visibly emotional watching a tribute video made for him before the game.

LeBron said, “I just want to fully embrace every moment right now and not waste any second. Because this very well could be my last season. Obviously, I haven’t made a decision about the future yet, but that possibility definitely exists.”

LeBron has left countless iconic moments at Madison Square Garden, including a 52-point performance in 2009 while playing for the Cavaliers—his second 50+ point game in this arena. Just two nights ago, Kobe scored 61 points there.