Heading into free agency, LeBron James considered the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets.
As the Rockets are a championship contender, the 76ers and Lakers both have talented young cores. With the 76ers ahead in the rebuilding process of the Lakers, some thought they were a realistic destination with James and Ben Simmons sharing the same agent in Rich Paul at Klutch Sports.
Ultimately, James signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers because he liked the challenge of ending the team’s five-year drought and helping them return to championship contention.
However, as the 2018-19 NBA season approaches, James and Simmons teamed up in a pickup game, according to Sports Illustrated:
What it looks like when @BenSimmons25 and @KingJames hoop on the same team ????
(via @Cbrickley603) pic.twitter.com/YQlogikCHi
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 6, 2018
While James and Simmons playing together provides a what-if situation for the 76ers and their fans, the former will have an opportunity to play with Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, and Lonzo Ball.
In their short time in Los Angeles, all four players have shown their potential and competitiveness. With the stakes at an all-time high, they will look to take the next step in their development and learn on the fly in order to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
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