LeBron James and Lakers free agent targets

The Lakers are expected to re-sign LeBron James in free agency, but the question is for how much? 

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned, James is reportedly willing to take a discount if the Lakers can land an impact player via the mid-level exception, with Klay Thompson, James Harden, and Jonas Valanciunas mentioned among the names of interest.

However, Harden is projected to potentially earn somewhere closer to double that mid-level exception amount, with the Clippers interested in bringing him back in free agency, league sources told HoopsHype. 

Thompson is expected to draw interest from the Lakers, Mavericks, and Magic, with the expectation that he’ll leave the Warriors at this juncture. 

It’s unclear if the mid-level exception would be enough financially for Thompson, given potential sign-and-trade interest from Dallas and interest from the Magic, who have cap space to spend. The Magic will meet with Paul George and have significant interest in Kentavious-Caldwell Pope, league sources told HoopsHype, which could limit their chances of ultimately spending big on Thompson.

Of the three players Woj mentioned, Valanciunas’ market is probably the closest in line with the mid-level exception value.