Every NBA offseason, we’ve gotten used to the rumor mill about where LeBron James will sign as a free agent. It’s happened for consecutive years ever since he left the Miami Heat. But now we’ve approached new rumors about LeBron James: Could he be traded?
Right now, the oddsmakers have him staying in Los Angeles with the Lakers, but the conversation is heated up just enough, that there are other teams with odds themselves. After the Lakers top -600 mark, you have the following teams in this order:
Now if you ask me about the possibility of LeBron James getting shipped out of Los Angeles, I’d be the first person to stand up and tell you that it’s ridiculous. But man, how can you not admit that speculation is so incredibly fun? Because it is.
Now you may be asking yourself: Why on earth would the Lakers trade LeBron James out of all people? Fair question.
Here are a couple of good theories that I have for you:
When you really think about it, it’s not as far-fetched as you may think. So now the question is: If the Los Angeles Lakers did pull the trigger, where would LeBron James go?
One rumor that is circulating heavy is LeBron heading to New York City to play for the Knicks, and it could realistically happen if both sides wanted to do it — but the Knicks have to get the No.1 overall draft pick. That would result in Zion Williamson for the Lakers, and it would also result in the first playoff appearance for the Knicks since 2013. And here’s another great thing about the Knicks getting LeBron and trading away Zion: They’d have enough cap space for another max salary cap slot — meaning room for either Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant. I don’t see LeBron going anywhere, but if he does, I see Broadway in my crystal ball.
“Who else?” Oh man, are you going to make me pick another team? If I’m forced to choose, I’d say the Cleveland Cavaliers. You obviously have the hometown factor, but the Cavaliers also have a opportunity to get the No. 1 pick in the draft to land Zion Williamson. The problem with Cleveland, though, is that would have to happen, no way around it. That’s their only shot of LeBron James making yet another return to Ohio.
With all that being said, the New York Knicks are definitely the best choice for where LeBron James will land, but like I said, I don’t see him leaving Los Angeles. But that won’t stop us from going over the odds that the top NBA betting sites are offering — let’s go!
The Los Angeles Lakers are the heavy favorites at -600 for where LeBron James will be next season, and for multiple good reasons: First off, the Lakers just recently were pushing for Tyronn Lue to appease LeBron James, so obviously, they want to make LeBron happy — things just didn’t work out because Lue was apparently offended at L.A.’s contract offer. The point is, they want to make LBJ happy, meaning they want him to stay. And why would LeBron want to leave? It’s Los Angeles, warm weather, and that’s where his business empire is located.
As I mentioned earlier, this is one of two of the only true scenarios I can see realistically happening. However, the only way the New York Knicks can land LeBron James is if they grab the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. If they do that, they’ll be able to get Zion Williamson and ship him to Los Angeles to send “The King” to “The Mecca”. Hey, it could happen. LeBron James was once caught on mic saying to Dwyane Wade that he wanted to either play for the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks before he retired. So maybe he could do both.
I’m a bit confused about why the Clippers are tied second in the odds with the Knicks at +700, but at the same time, I get it. There’s a few factors at play. First off, the Clippers are in Los Angeles at the end of the day, and not only that, but the Clippers are much better off than the Lakers. So with that being said, not only would LeBron get to stay in the city and with his ventures, but he’d also be able to be on a competitive team. But I don’t see this happening at all. Why leave the Lakers for the Clippers? And if you’re the Lakers, why make the Clippers so dominant?
After the New York Knicks, this is the next (and last) scenario that I could actually see happening if LeBron James does leave the Los Angeles Lakers — which I don’t see happening. But the only way it can happen is if the Cleveland Cavaliers land Zion Williamson in the NBA Draft with the No. 1 pick. This would give the Cavs the trade piece to be able to pull off such a move, but why would the Cavaliers give up Zion for a nearly 35-year-old LeBron James? I don’t see Cleveland doing that, but I could see the Lakers being tempted if the Cavaliers were down.
I’m a Miami Heat fan, and I admit, I even chuckled a little bit when I saw the Miami Heat on the list. There’s no way on earth that this is happening — or is there? Over time, Pat Riley has made a few media appearances where he’s opened the door for LeBron James to make a return. After all, LeBron said that he wanted to play in warm weather before he left from Cleveland for Los Angeles, and Florida has no state income tax. The Miami Heat also have a nice core of young talent, but my question is: Who exactly would they trade for LeBron James?
Now this one is definitely laughable. The Chicago Bulls have a bunch of babies on their roster, and not only that, but they’re in worse shape than the Los Angeles Lakers. And LeBron certainly has no interest going to a team like that and also having to deal with cold and windy winters all at the same time. If I were an oddsmaker, I’d have the Bulls a lot higher than +1500. LeBron James certainly won’t be a Bull this summer. And another thing: If you’re the Los Angeles Lakers, who exactly would you want from Chicago’s roster? Hint: Nobody, that’s who.
Excuse my unprofessionalism for a moment, but I just can’t help myself: “Hahahahahahahaha!” Okay, sorry about that. The fact that the Pacers are located in Indianapolis, Indiana — that alone is enough to keep LeBron James away from this organization. Also, as politically active, left-leaning and apart of elitism as LeBron is, he’s certainly not going to the Pacers. Wow, I can’t believe they’re actually on the list. That’s funny though. He would make things interesting if he went to Indiana though. They would automatically become the top power in the East.
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