The Los Angeles Lakers are going nowhere fast and speculation is beginning to rise that LeBron James may be interested in some new (old?) scenery.
If that does indeed turn out to be true, where might LeBron go? Retired NBA star and current ESPN analyst, Kendrick Perkins, has a suggestion.
I wonder if Lebron James would consider demanding a trade back to Cleveland?! I mean the Cavs do have nice squad! Don’t mind me tho and Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 22, 2021
This isn’t the first time LeBron going back to Cleveland has been suggested. In fact, that’s become fuel for many debates recently. It’s something that has engulfed Twitter and even Bill Simmons has taken note. So, might Perkins be onto something?
LeBron is no stranger to throwing his weight around when it comes to desired destinations. He maneuvered his way back to Cleveland previously, while taking similar tactics in moves to Miami and Los Angeles. Only this time, the speculation hasn’t been fueled by LeBron himself — it’s been all outside noise.
On his end, LeBron has stated he wants to ride out his career in Los Angeles.
“I truly hope that I can finish my career with the Lakers,” James told the SmartLess podcast earlier this year. “However many years that is, if it’s four, five, six, whatever, seven. I hope I can continue to play the game. I love being in LA, my family loves being in LA.”
That commitment came before the Lakers left the gate with a 16-16 record this year. The Cavaliers, by contrast, are 19-12, have an impressive young roster and are clearly headed in the right direction. Outside of just the hometown vibes, that is undoubtedly appealing to LeBron.
For now however, this is nothing more than conjecture with a pinch of salt. But there’s a lot of time left for that to change. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, February 10 at 3:00 p.m. ET. We’ll see where things stand come that time.
Photo: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
