After the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals, all of the storylines quickly shifted to LeBron James. With a $35.6 million player option, most expect the 33-year-old to become a free agent on July 1.
Although James was focused on the 2017-18 NBA season, he has been linked to four primary teams in the Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Lakers have the cap space to sign him and another max-contract player, Dave McMenamin of ESPN revealed James and agent Rich Paul do not have a list of teams who will receive consideration:
There is no working list of teams that James is considering at this point, sources close to James told ESPN. In fact, his agent, Rich Paul, purposely delayed having that conversation until after the season was over as to not take any focus of the Cavs’ quest for a championship.
Even though James claims he does not know what he will do, the reality is he is only three weeks away from the start of free agency. As the four-time league MVP prides himself on being a businessman, he likely has an idea on which team fulfills all of his requirements in the final chapter of his career.
For the Lakers, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have finally established the storied franchise as an attractive destination once again. By teaming James up with another All-Star player like Paul George along with the young core, the on- and off-the-court opportunities are there for James and his family.
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