Why the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kobe Bryant aren’t on the same page
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is reportedly trying to strike a deal to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sources close to the situation tell The Vertical’s Zach Lowe that the two sides are at an impasse with the superstar.
James, who turns 37 in May, would become the youngest player to win two NBA championships in the same season, and would join an elite Lakers roster that has won the past three NBA Finals.
Sources told Lowe that there is no timeline for a deal.
Kobe Bryant, who has played in all six of the Lakers’ postseason games this season, has said he would not play in any playoff games for any team, including the Lakers.
James is expected to make a decision on a new contract in the next few weeks.
If he decides to leave the Lakers, the Cavaliers are expected to have leverage on the star, who is owed more than $100 million this season and is the highest-paid player in the NBA.
The Lakers would be able to make any offer to keep James, and could even offer him a lucrative extension.
The Lakers have an option to extend Bryant’s contract through the 2021-22 season, which would give them the ability to match any offer James makes.
The extension would also give the Lakers more flexibility in a trade for James.
The team would then have a choice between trading James or keeping him.
