NBA superstar LeBron James is no stranger to free agency rumors and he’s been connected to to the Los Angeles Lakers on more than several occasions. The latest one, however, is downright fascinating. If it’s to be believed, a recent report indicates that not only could the Lakers land James next summer but he would bring Dallas Mavericks big man Nerlens Noel with him.
James and Noel are both clients of agent Rich Paul, as is current Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, so the thought is that the connection could lead to them teaming up in Los Angeles.
The LN News Feed decided to dig into the rumor, with host Trevor Lane and guest Harrison Faigen breaking it down and looking at why such a move might make sense — and why it might not.
While adding James to a young Lakers roster would almost certainly propel them back into the playoffs, and possibly even further, he’s going to want to bring in some other top talents to play with.
Young teams almost never win championships, and James isn’t in the business of helping teams develop for the future. For him, the time to win is now.
That’s part of why fellow free agent stars like Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins have been linked to the Lakers. They would pair well with James and the young Lakers, giving them enough veteran firepower to carry inexperienced but talented players like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma to the top.
Noel, however, can’t be mentioned in the same breath as George and Cousins. He still has plenty of potential, but has had a difficult season in Dallas with injuries and is struggling to crack the rotation when healthy. Can he really be the guy James wants to bring to Los Angeles?
We break it all down, just click the player above.
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