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Jonathan Chen
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With the free agency frenzy beginning tomorrow, all eyes will be on one player. One player who can upset the balance of the league. One player that can turn the fortunes of a franchise around in an instant. One player who can assemble a super team and finally dethrone the Golden State Warriors. That player, of course, is Lebron James. With another Lebron free agency decision coming in the next few days, we take a deeper dive into the potential landing spots for the King.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Near the middle of the season it really looked like Lebron was actually going to leave his hometown Cavs in free agency. Even during the playoffs, when Lebron dragged the Cavs all the way to the finals (with the weakest supporting cast he has had since 2007) there were rumours that he was going to leave. However, it is now looking more likely he stays in Cleveland. And there are 53 million reasons.
Cleveland can offer Lebron the most money this year. Obviously Lebron is getting a max from any team, but he can make $53 million more staying put. And despite what everyone says about not caring about money, $53 million is a lot of money. I know Lebron James definitely doesn't need any more money, but it's hard for anyone to turn down that much money. Further, the Cavs are in the East, a much weaker conference, and Lebron will be able to continue to advance to the finals (although Boston and Philly are looking like a future dynasty).
However, Cleveland has so many problems. They were clearly outmatched by the Warriors and were very nearly eliminated on the way to the Finals. And there is no clear way to improve. They are deep in the luxury tax so free agency is out of the question. Most of their role players are overpaid and nobody wants to trade for them (Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, etc.). Kevin Love seems to be made out of glass. The one good thing is they drafted Collin Sexton, a young point guard will a lot of potential.
Lebron is the King of the East and staying in Cleveland would do wonders for his legacy as an all-time great and strengthen his reputation across the league.
Los Angeles Lakers
It seems every time there is a star available through free agency or trade, the Lakers are always the front runners. I get it. The nightlife, the weather, the beaches, Hollywood. LA has everything and is a young millionaire's playground. However over the past few years the Lakers have not been able to attract marquee free agents. Could this year be the year their fortunes change?
It's obvious to see why Lebron would be drawn to the Lakers. Aside from the franchise's storied history and the aura of LA, Lebron's family, which he said was going to affect his decision, is already settled in LA. He has a mansion in LA and is reportedly staying in LA during the free agency process. In addition, his eldest son Lebron James Jr. will be attending a basketball powerhouse prep school in LA. Also, by playing in LA, Lebron could expand his own brand and could make a lot more endorsement money.
In terms of the basketball team, the Lakers could be perfect for Lebron. The Lakers can afford two max contracts this summer, so Lebron could very well recruit another star to LA (a.k.a. Paul George). The Lakers also have a good core of young players such as Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. And there have been rumours that the Lakers are trying very hard to acquire Kawhi Leonard. If anything, Lebron could assemble a new superteam in LA and potentially challenge the Warriors earlier in the playoffs.
However, LA is not the perfect destination. Lebron could potentially be the only star that signs with the Lakers. If this were to occur, he would be left with a worse team in a much harder conference. In reality, there is too much risk for Lebron to sign with the Lakers. But you know what they say. High risk, high reward.
Philadelphia 76ers
According to reports, the Sixers are doing everything to clear cap space and potentially sign the King. And they do look like a legit contender to sign Lebron this off season.
Out of all the teams so far, the 76ers give Lebron the best shot to compete for the championship over the next few years. With two emerging superstars in Simmons and Embiid, and excellent complementary players in Saric, Covington and (hopefully) Markelle Fultz, the 76ers could be the most talented team in the league. Add in the plethora of picks and plenty of cap space, the team could get even better. Also, Philly plays in the Eastern Conference, which means they would have an easier road to the NBA Finals.
But, there are a few glaring issues. Firstly, with Lebron, Ben Simmons could have his development stunted. Both Simmons and Lebron need the ball in their hands in order to be a threat to score and use their incredible, out-of-this-world vision. And obviously you would rather give the ball to Lebron. That leaves Ben Simmons spotting up in the corners or on the wings, which is something defenses are happy with. It is true that Lebron has played with other ball dominant players in Kyrie and Wade, however both those players had other skills that made them compatible with James (Kyrie is an elite shooter and Wade is an elite cutter and mid range shooter), skills that Simmons currently lacks. In addition, the Sixers do not have a lot of 3 pt shooters, which is a requirement on any Lebron led team. Their best shooters from deep Redick, Belinelli and Illyasova are all free agents and it is unrealistic for the Sixers to keep 2 out of the 3 when they also sign Lebron.
Houston Rockets
Imagine the team that pushed the Warriors to 7 games in the Western Conference Finals adding Lebron James. Yeah, that is a really scary thought.
There is really no explanation needed. I mean the Rockets are already loaded with superstars in Harden and CP3. They also are one of the best teams in the league at shooting and making 3s. If Lebron really is about winning, the Rockets should be the team he signs with. On the surface, it seems like it would be a perfect fit for Lebron.
If Lebron were to sign with the Rockets, Houston would lose much of its depth. This year Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela are free agents (Paul and Ariza are unrestricted while Capela is restricted). They will not have enough money to keep all of these guys, which would be devastating for the team. That being said, when you can sign an all-time great, you take the opportunity in a heartbeat.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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| "Lebron James" by Keith Allison is licensed under C.C by 2.0 |
Cleveland can offer Lebron the most money this year. Obviously Lebron is getting a max from any team, but he can make $53 million more staying put. And despite what everyone says about not caring about money, $53 million is a lot of money. I know Lebron James definitely doesn't need any more money, but it's hard for anyone to turn down that much money. Further, the Cavs are in the East, a much weaker conference, and Lebron will be able to continue to advance to the finals (although Boston and Philly are looking like a future dynasty).
However, Cleveland has so many problems. They were clearly outmatched by the Warriors and were very nearly eliminated on the way to the Finals. And there is no clear way to improve. They are deep in the luxury tax so free agency is out of the question. Most of their role players are overpaid and nobody wants to trade for them (Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, etc.). Kevin Love seems to be made out of glass. The one good thing is they drafted Collin Sexton, a young point guard will a lot of potential.
Lebron is the King of the East and staying in Cleveland would do wonders for his legacy as an all-time great and strengthen his reputation across the league.
Los Angeles Lakers
It's obvious to see why Lebron would be drawn to the Lakers. Aside from the franchise's storied history and the aura of LA, Lebron's family, which he said was going to affect his decision, is already settled in LA. He has a mansion in LA and is reportedly staying in LA during the free agency process. In addition, his eldest son Lebron James Jr. will be attending a basketball powerhouse prep school in LA. Also, by playing in LA, Lebron could expand his own brand and could make a lot more endorsement money.
In terms of the basketball team, the Lakers could be perfect for Lebron. The Lakers can afford two max contracts this summer, so Lebron could very well recruit another star to LA (a.k.a. Paul George). The Lakers also have a good core of young players such as Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. And there have been rumours that the Lakers are trying very hard to acquire Kawhi Leonard. If anything, Lebron could assemble a new superteam in LA and potentially challenge the Warriors earlier in the playoffs.
However, LA is not the perfect destination. Lebron could potentially be the only star that signs with the Lakers. If this were to occur, he would be left with a worse team in a much harder conference. In reality, there is too much risk for Lebron to sign with the Lakers. But you know what they say. High risk, high reward.
Philadelphia 76ers
 |
| "Joel Embiid" by Keith Allison is licensed under C.C by 2.0 |
Out of all the teams so far, the 76ers give Lebron the best shot to compete for the championship over the next few years. With two emerging superstars in Simmons and Embiid, and excellent complementary players in Saric, Covington and (hopefully) Markelle Fultz, the 76ers could be the most talented team in the league. Add in the plethora of picks and plenty of cap space, the team could get even better. Also, Philly plays in the Eastern Conference, which means they would have an easier road to the NBA Finals.
But, there are a few glaring issues. Firstly, with Lebron, Ben Simmons could have his development stunted. Both Simmons and Lebron need the ball in their hands in order to be a threat to score and use their incredible, out-of-this-world vision. And obviously you would rather give the ball to Lebron. That leaves Ben Simmons spotting up in the corners or on the wings, which is something defenses are happy with. It is true that Lebron has played with other ball dominant players in Kyrie and Wade, however both those players had other skills that made them compatible with James (Kyrie is an elite shooter and Wade is an elite cutter and mid range shooter), skills that Simmons currently lacks. In addition, the Sixers do not have a lot of 3 pt shooters, which is a requirement on any Lebron led team. Their best shooters from deep Redick, Belinelli and Illyasova are all free agents and it is unrealistic for the Sixers to keep 2 out of the 3 when they also sign Lebron.
Houston Rockets
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| "James Harden" by Derral Chen is licensed under C.C by 2.0 |
There is really no explanation needed. I mean the Rockets are already loaded with superstars in Harden and CP3. They also are one of the best teams in the league at shooting and making 3s. If Lebron really is about winning, the Rockets should be the team he signs with. On the surface, it seems like it would be a perfect fit for Lebron.
If Lebron were to sign with the Rockets, Houston would lose much of its depth. This year Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela are free agents (Paul and Ariza are unrestricted while Capela is restricted). They will not have enough money to keep all of these guys, which would be devastating for the team. That being said, when you can sign an all-time great, you take the opportunity in a heartbeat.
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