Lakers: LeBron James Getting Suspended Actually Saves LA a Ton of Money
The Lakers will be without LeBron James tonight in New York. Taking on the Knicks, they will have to get it done without their leader on the court. That comes after LBJ was suspended for a game for his part in the skirmish with the Pistons this weekend.
James hit Isaiah Stewart in the face when the two got tangled up during a free throw attempt. Stewart took issue with it and came after Lakers players and coaches with his face bloodied. As a result, he got suspended for two games by the league.
But James missing out on a game tonight might not be the end of the world. Not only is he still trying to keep his body healthy, but it's actually going to save the Lakers a ton of money.
James being suspended will save the Lakers $500,000 against the salary cap this year. LeBron loses out on $284,000 for missing the game tonight. That means that Los Angeles will be credited half that amount, amounting to $142,000 total.
That savings plays a BIG role in the luxury tax for the Lakers. According to Marks, it will save them over $500k on the season. Teams in the NBA that go over the luxury tax threshold by $1 to $4.9 million are required to pay an additional $1.50 for every dollar they spend.
So while the Lakers would obviously love to have LeBron in there to win a game, it's not the worst thing in the world. Los Angeles could also be without Antony Davis in the contest as well. AD is dealing with an illness that is not related to COVID, per the team.
That makes not having LBJ in the lineup much more difficult. But the Knicks have also struggled so far this year, so pulling out a win without both isn't out of the question.
