Ever since his move in 2010 from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat, LeBron James has had one of the biggest spotlights on him every summer since that year — particularly on July 1 when NBA Free Agency starts. Despite the rumor mill continuing the craze here in the summer of 2019, Las Vegas and the rest of the odds-makers have LeBron favored to stay in Los Angeles with the Lakers.
NBA betting sites currently has the Los Angeles Lakers as the favorite with -600 odds, and then after that it’s a distant +700 with the New York Knicks. Then you have the other team in Los Angeles in third with the Clippers placed at +700. In fourth, the odds-makers see a possible return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the future with that figure at +1000 — a return to the Miami Heat is also listed on the odds in a +1000 tie with Cleveland. Rounding out the list comes the Chicago Bulls at +1500 and the Indiana Pacers at +1800.
Personally, I think the thought of James leaving the Lakers is absolutely laughable, but since Vegas has gave us these list of teams with odds beside them, why not partake in the fun of reckless speculation? God, you’ve got to love NBA Free Agency.
Now, the first question we must ask ourselves is: Why on earth would the Lakers trade LeBron James? Especially considering the Lakers have been dismal in drawing elite free agents to their prestigious franchise.
Even with LBJ on their team, Los Angeles would still have a lousy season tallying a 37-45 record to miss the playoffs. This upcoming campaign, LeBron will be turning 35-years-old, so obviously “the king” isn’t getting any younger here — besides LeBron, the Lakers have a roster with nothing but babies. With that being said, they could take advantage of what’s still left from LeBron and cash in with a huge trade package in their favor. Let’s call it, a “king’s ransom.”
Another thing that could play a factor has been the outright resistance from the Los Angeles fan base in regards to accepting James as a “true Laker” — this in comparison to Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other Hall of Fame Lakers. With those two factors and his mentor Magic Johnson also leaving the franchise, there could be a shot that LeBron James could be shipped out of L.A.
I highly doubt that happens though. Why on earth would you land the best player in the world just to get rid of him after one season to start another rebuilding process? But hey, this is NBA Free Agency, where anything can happen. We’ve seen some of the craziest stuff in this league’s offseason.
Now the next question: What teams would be in the front of the line to grab LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers?
First off, let’s take a look at the top three order of the 2019 NBA Draft:
Now, let’s say the Knicks are able to grab the No. 1 pick from the Pelicans through a trade. See? Reckless speculation is fun.
So in our hypothetical situation, New York has a hold of the top pick in the draft. So, what to do with it? Pick Zion Williamson, or trade the pick for LeBron James? If the Lakers seriously considered moving LeBron, that’s a move that Los Angeles would certainly make, and it would be a move that would instantly put the Knicks back into relevance — it would also put them back into the postseason for the first time since 2013.
With the appeal of LeBron James, New York City, Madison Square Garden, and the “Knicks” brand, New York would also then have an extra spot for a max salary cap player. If that’s the case, LeBron could easily team up with Kevin Durant — who is heavily favored to go to New York this summer — or Kyrie Irving — who has stated several times that he wants to play in the tri-state area, and on top of that, has hinted that he wants to play with LeBron James again (and he’s made up with him on top of that). All of a sudden, the Knicks become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, and all across the NBA.
Again, I highly doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers will even come close to consider trading LeBron James, and I doubt LeBron and his power will allow it.
With that being said, if a move were made, you’d have to take the New York Knicks as the top favorite to land James — if they land the No. 1 pick in the draft from the Pelicans, that’s the only way that this slim possibility can happen.
Other than the New York Knicks, the only franchise that I see with a chance of landing LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers is the Cleveland Cavaliers — and that’s for the obvious reason of LeBron growing up 30 minutes outside of Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers have the same problem as the Knicks though: They’ll be tasked with turning their No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft into the No. 1 overall pick. Good luck with that, especially considering the Pelicans are doing everything they can to hold on to Anthony Davis. Oh, and on top of that, LeBron and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert reportedly still don’t have the best relationship.
With that being said, I expect LeBron James to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks having the best chance to land him in an unlikely move, and the Cleveland Cavaliers being the last long shot to have a chance. But let’s continue more reckless speculation, shall we?
I have to agree with the odds-makers that this list is fun to ponder over and express opinions about, but they obviously agree with me as well that it’s ridiculous to think that LeBron James won’t be a Los Angeles Laker when the new season starts.
For the Lakers, they’re desperate to put themselves back into relevancy, and after struggling for years now to sign high-profile free agents, they’re not about to head back down that road after just landing LeBron — the best player in the world — last season. For LeBron James, he’ll surely make sure that he’s secure in Los Angeles with the amount of power he has, and for LBJ, it makes sense to stay in L.A. His business and entertainment headquarters is there (even former NBA player Paul Pierce said that LBJ to Los Angeles was more of a business move than anything), he’s already won his championships and experienced different metropolitans and their cultures, and the most important reason, his son plays basketball in the Los Angeles area. Oh, and he grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan. It makes so much sense for the Lakers to keep him and for James to stay. And simply put: LeBron is still reportedly happy in Los Angeles despite the lack of success, at least for now.
And there’s another big reason too: The New Orleans Pelicans announced that they’re officially taking offers to trade their superstar big-man Anthony Davis. When the odds were released, the Los Angeles Lakers were immediately placed as the top-dog favorite — and by a heavy margin as well.
If the Lakers can pull off that move with LeBron on the roster, they automatically become a power in the Western Conference. Also, it’s not just the odds that has L.A. as the favorite to land Davis either, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is also saying the same thing — and we know how incredibly credible he is. According to The Inquisitr, the Lakers are currently in active talks to deal their No. 4 pick for an “experienced veteran” — sounds like Anthony Davis to me.
Here are a few headlines that could get the conspiracy theorists fueling the fire even more though in regards to LeBron James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers: Despite conflicting reports and what the odds say, Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Lakers aren’t in the running for Anthony Davis at all. If this is true, they better hope that they land another veteran, because according to CBS Sports, the Lakers could risk losing LeBron if they fail to improve the team this offseason.
I’m not sure what reports to believe or what not to believe, so I’ve been putting my own puzzle pieces together for the LeBron James scenario. Honestly, the only thing that I could up with is what I said earlier: It’s absolutely laughable to think that LeBron will be out of Los Angeles anytime soon — at least for now, I give the conspiracy theorists that one.
The New York Knicks are a heavy distant +700 odds for a reason, and that’s because their only chance of landing LeBron James is to trade for him with the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The problem is, I don’t think the New Orleans Pelicans will be willing to give that up with their current situation with Anthony Davis — they’re officially taking offers for the big-man and that will make them more likely to hold on to Zion Williamson.
For the Knicks, their focus will be more on Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. Despite Durant’s injury, he’ll still be a high demand player in free agency across the league, and New York are the current favorites to land KD.
As a result, expect the Knicks and their desperation to be relevant to aggressively go after Durant — injured or not. Expect them to also be aggressive to land Anthony Davis after he said he wants to be dealt to either the Lakers or New York, nobody else. Kyrie Irving will also be high on the Knicks’ list — not only because of Kyrie being one of the best players in the NBA, but he’s also said on the record that he wants to play in the tri-state area. New York will do everything in their power to steal him away from the Brooklyn Nets, who are another favorite to land Irving. Kemba Walker will also make an appearance on New York’s list.
With the New York Knicks having to go through way too much and have to give up way too much in order to land LeBron James, and the talent pool being rich in the 2019 NBA Free Agency and multiple options being available, I say there’s zero chance that LeBron James heads to New York City to play for the Knicks.
To be honest, I’m confused as to why the Los Angeles Clippers are this high in the odds, especially over the Cleveland Cavaliers — even the Miami Heat. My guess would be because of the Clippers obviously being in Los Angeles, the headquarters for LeBron James’ business and entertainment empire. Another plus for the Clippers is that they were a playoff team last season, which could be appealing due to LeBron having another chance for a ring.
But there’s a problem with the Los Angeles Clippers: LeBron James doesn’t want to be there.
According to Bleacher Report, LeBron said he would ‘never’ play for the Clippers, and there goes that out of the window immediately. I don’t think you needed to see that report or hear me tell you though that LeBron James isn’t leaving the Los Angeles Lakers for the Los Angeles Clippers — ridiculous.
As far as the Clippers’ offseason is concerned, you can expect them to go hardcore after Kawhi Leonard the most — who is heavily rumored to sign with them, especially considering he’s from Los Angeles and wants to return home. The Clippers are also expected to be heavily involved in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes as well. Back to LeBron, I just don’t see Los Angeles giving away any of their talent in order to bring him in — expect them to try and do their thing through free agency this offseason.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
