If LeBron James decides to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers again in free agency next summer, the one team that we keep hearing him linked to is the Los Angeles Lakers. In reality, Magic Johnson landing LeBron may be less realistic than many believe.
In a lengthy piece that discusses some of the storylines surrounding James’ future, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported that it is a “long-shot” that LeBron will sign with the Lakers.
It is a delicious fantasy. And yet, in the modern NBA, where superstars change teams and seismic shifts in power seem to shake the league every summer, it’s certainly not impossible. Lakers history is filled with similar feats of engineering, most recently in 2008, when they plucked Pau Gasol away from Memphis to team with an in-his-prime Bryant for two NBA championships.
So imagining James’ last act coming in purple and gold isn’t without basis. But as of now, it’s also a longshot, according to league sources. Still, expect the atmosphere, and the intrigue, to be as thick as the winter storm battering Cleveland when the Lakers and Cavaliers play Thursday night.
The Lakers are currently 10-16. While they have a lot of young, talented players, LeBron will need a guarantee that his next team is going surround him with enough help to contend for a championship each season. With Paul George being from L.A. and reportedly dreaming of the day when he can wear the purple and gold, the assumption has been that the Lakers will sign George and James in the Summer of 2018. That may not be as simple as it sounds.
In order to sign two max players, the Lakers will need to make several trades and strip down their current roster. After Kevin Durant took less than max money to help the Golden State Warriors keep their roster together, there has been talk that LeBron could do the same. However, Shelburne and Windhorst report that LeBron has no plans to leave money on the table.
The middle of the regular season is not the time for final decisions, but James’ position on maximum contracts hasn’t changed, sources said.
Here’s what that means: Teams who hope to pitch James next July ought to plan to have the max to offer, which is projected to be about $35 million. For now, there are no plans for James to grant a Kevin Durant-esque discount to any team so that friends can get paid or a better roster can be constructed.
In other words, the Lakers are facing an uphill battle. Even if you want to take LaVar Ball’s guarantee to the bank, James will be 33 heading into next season and does not have time to develop a bunch of young, promising players. Teaming up with George would be a start, but there’s reason to believe the Lakers will be where LeBron wants them to be if they clear the neccessary cap space to sign him and PG-13. Magic has his work cut out for him.
