Is LeBron James a Good Fit for the Lakers?
“Magic and I did a trade to allow us to have double-max cap room a July from now, so with our platform we’re really hopeful that we can add maybe a superstar or two to this young core” — Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka
Ideally, of the 2018 free agency players, the Lakers get superstar LeBron James.
Logistically is this possible?
Financially? Yes
This off-season, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka exhibited restraint in picking up multi-year contracts. Instead, they opted for players with a single year left to pay on their current contracts — i.e. Corey Brewer, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Brook Lopez.
Currently, the cost of the team’s salary totals $100,617,605.
Barring players with one-year contracts, the team salary drops to $52,649,695.
The NBA salary cap for the 2017–2018 season is $99.093 million (Up $4.95 million from last year).
If the Lakers drop Brewer, KCP and Lopez, and the salary cap continues to grow, the team will have at least $47,350,305 to play with going into the 2018–2019 season.
This places them in a position to accommodate James’ expected supermax salary deal.
James’ current three-year contract with the Cavaliers is approximately $100 million. In the first year of this contract, James received $31 million.
Again, if the Lakers drop all players with one year left on their contracts, the team can afford to pay James up to $16,350,305 more than what he made in the first year of his last agreement.
Roster-wise? Yes
Given James’ versatility, he can fill any position on the court.
If the team chooses to play him as the starting point guard, Lonzo Ball will step out.
Alternatively, the team could recreate a Kyrie Irving-James dynamic but with Ball as Irving’s substitute at the point guard position and James at the starting shooting guard position. This is the more likely scenario if the Lakers make room for more guards by dropping Brewer and KCP.
Another option is to have James play power forward, a position far from foreign to him considering his tendency to drive to the basket. (In fact, his NBA profile lists him as such.)
Why would James choose LA?
He’s paid his dues to the Cavs
In 2010, James made the controversial decision to leave the Cavs for the Heat, in pursuit of a ring.
Cavs fans, up in arms, took to social media, posting images of burned James jerseys.
In 2014, James returned to Cleveland, detailing in a Sports Illustrated article the importance of his hometown roots and what it would mean to him to bring a title home.
“What’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.”
In 2016, he achieved this goal in a 3–1 comeback against the Warriors.
“I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and when I came back, I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we’ve never been. That’s what it [the game] was all about.”
Now, a championship banner hangs from the Cavs’ Quicken Loans Arena — a symbol of James’ penance for leaving seven years ago.
So what’s next for the superstar?
Easy. The pursuit of more rings.
Now that he’s paid his penance, James may no longer feel obligated to stay, especially if another team is in a better position to help him achieve this.
And at age of 32, James would be better off working to accomplish this sooner rather than later.
He’s frustrated with the Cavs management team
Hungry for another ring, James needed the Cavs front office to construct a team competitive enough to overcome a dominant Warriors team.
However, after the end of the playoff season, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert dismantled the team’s front office — leaving the positions of president of operations and general manager void in the days leading up to the draft and free agency season.
According to USA Today, James was “frustrated and concerned about the team’s ability to put together a roster that can better compete with Golden State.”
Is this enough to influence James’ departure? It remains to be seen.
As of now, “James enjoys living in the moment, and 2017–18 is his focus.”
He could be the face of a new Lakers legacy
With the ousting of Former President of Operations Jim Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak, Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss made it clear the team’s repeated losses aren’t acceptable.
“To go from 25 wins, to 21 wins, to 17 wins, to watch it erode like that, it wasn’t Laker basketball. It wasn’t what this organization stands for,” she said, in a Spectrum SportsNet interview.
“The Lakers are one of the marquee brands in all of sports and we haven’t been in the playoffs, we haven’t been relevant for a few years and it’s important to have a team like the Lakers to represent our market well” she continued.
Historically, the Lakers have several notable legacies — the championships under George Mikan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
With Jeanie, Johnson and Pelinka at the helm determined to recruit, develop and lead the franchise to multiple championships, James could find himself with more than just a ring. He could find himself with a set of rings and, ideally, his name embedded among legends in sports history.
He already owns a home in LA
In 2015, James dished out a whopping $20.99 million for a mansion in LA’s upscale Brentwood neighborhood.
Equipped with six bedrooms and a total of 9,350 square feet of space, James could easily accommodate his wife, two sons and daughter.
What does James bring to the Lakers?
Experience
James brings 14 years of league experience, six Finals appearances, three Finals MVP awards and three championship trophies. In other words, he’s effective in the regular season, effective in the playoffs and certainly effective in the Finals.
Leadership
With his experience, he also brings leadership.
Because he knows what it takes to win, he can help guide the young and relatively inexperienced Lakers core. Similar to what he did with Cavs teammates Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters — whether it be on how to defend highly-skilled players, execute tough plays, or serve as a motivational teammate — he can elevate the budding Lakers team.
Skills
On the offensive front, James brings his ability to drive to the basket, finish at the rim, rebound, complete mid-range shots and create plays.
On the defensive end, James brings strength to his screens and speed when chasing blocks.
Has James made plans to join the Lakers?
Not yet
Though, Newsweek recently summarized the latest news surrounding James, saying “He [James] has been linked to the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and the Lakers” through his agent, Rich Paul.
Moreover, Serena Winters, a reporter for LakersNation.com, tweeted this,
Although it appears James is interested in signing with the Lakers, there is an entire season separating him and this moment.
Come June 2018, there will surely be a clearer picture of what’s to come for both James and the Lakers.
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