The Los Angeles Lakers are the center of a lot of rumors in the NBA right now, as not only do they hold the No. 2 and No. 28 picks in the upcoming draft, but they are also in the running to acquire Paul George either via a trade this offseason or in free agency in 2018.
They have also been linked to other premiere free agents in the next couple of years and one player who is set to hit free agency in 2018 and could be on the move is Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who has shown in his career that he is not afraid to switch teams, having done so twice already.
James brought a championship to his hometown Cavaliers last year, so it has been rumored that in 2018 he could possibly leave in free agency and head west to Los Angeles.
One of the reasons behind that could be his family, as his wife Savannah has expressed desire in living in Los Angeles full time, via Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report:
The George scenario has been omnipresent for some time, and Cleveland’s loss in the 2017 NBA Finals has led Lakers officials to hear more whispers about James’ interest in a final chapter in Los Angeles, where his wife would like to live full time, per sources.
In addition to the Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers could also be a possible destination for James, although the Lakers are a more likely destination due to their brand, according to Ding. The Clippers have brought Jerry West into their front office however, and he and James do have a relationship as well as one James’ closest friends, Chris Paul, should Paul re-sign this summer.
With Magic Johnson leading the Lakers front office, the Lakers will most likely at the very least get a meeting with James next summer if he decides to entertain offers other than Cleveland.
It is also possible that Cleveland trades for George this summer to team up with James. If that happens and they win a championship or get close then it could be difficult to get either player to leave Cleveland next summer.