"I don't want LeBron to stay in L.A. It's not like he has to win more rings, but ... there's 4 teams out East that he could sign with & win a title — Heat, Cavs, 76ers, Knicks." — @getnickwright
Right before the NBA trade deadline, a blockbuster report came out stating that the Golden State Warriors attempted to woo LeBron James away from the Los Angeles Lakers. In the end, the report was much ado about nothing because James is still with LA, but he could change his mind this summer.
King James would have a lot of options if he chose to end his current contract with the Lakers this offseason. These teams would have the best chance of landing him.
Rumors about James being unhappy with the Lakers surfaced right before his team recently played against the New York Knicks. In fact, after the game, LeBron was spotted draped in a Knicks towel, which led to a lot of speculation about him heading to New York.
The Knicks have a lot of potential right now and a roster that could go far in the playoffs. It could go even further, of course, with James on board. He would move from the second-biggest city in the country to the biggest and would be celebrated as the king of New York.
He has been there before so it stands to reason that LeBron could return to the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers. Both teams have deep rosters with a lot of talent and strong playoff chances and both would welcome him back.
Cleveland would be particularly attractive to James because it would allow him the chance to retire in his hometown. Additionally, both the Heat and Cavaliers have the draft picks to land his son Bronny this summer.
The Philadelphia 76ers have pursued LeBron James three times before, in 2014, 2018, and even a few weeks ago. Each time, they have been shot down.
They might be shot down again but the 76ers would be awfully attractive to James if he wants to join a team that has championship chances right now. The idea of him playing with Joel Embiid would be very tantalizing to James. If this team does well, but not well enough, in the upcoming playoffs, their chances of acquiring James would rise even more.
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Los Angeles Lakers
The most likely scenario for James this summer is that he stays with his current team, the Lakers.
The roster has depth, James loves playing with Anthony Davis, they made the Western Conference Finals last year, and they could also sign Bronny this summer. Perhaps most importantly, James loves living in Los Angeles and it would be hard to convince him to move from the home he's made, especially for just a few more years before retirement.
Things can change and the Lakers could do something to upset James but right now it sounds like he will remain in Los Angeles.
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