It might be a while before we hear from LeBron James about his next steps. That doesn’t mean he has no idea what it will be, however.
The NBA icon is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and a few options, including retirement, seem like they’re on the table. He could return to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he's spent the most time with any team in a single stint in his career and can continue to play with his son, Bronny James. It is clear though that the Lakers aren’t immediately positioned to be title contenders.
If another title is what James is looking for, then arguably the most realistic path is for him to sign elsewhere this offseason.And since a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade this offseason looks like a possibility, there could be a lot of team-shuffling this summer that could open the door for James to fit elsewhere.
97.1 The Fan’s Brock Vereen thinks James career is going to continue somewhere else.
I don’t believe (he’ll be back with the Lakers),” Vereen said on KNX.. I believe if Cleveland gets bounced by Detroit, they are going to be in "what changes do we need to make most" mode. And bringing back LeBron, if he’s willing to take a pay cut, which is a huge thing, and if he says, "Okay, if I take a pay cut, I get to bring my son," and they say, "That’s a fair trade. Sure. James Harden, is this cool with you?" James Harden just likes to hoop; he doesn’t care about much else. He says, "Sure, come on board." Maybe you do a sign-and-trade. I know they’re considering moving Jarrett out. I feel Cleveland is the most likely destination and makes the most sense. And it’s for the best story.
From a Lakers standpoint, a case could be made that now is the right time to rip the James bandage. They have Luka Doncic to build around, and there is enough young talent in the Western Conference that the Lakers could quickly fall down in the pecking order if the Lakers choose to let James eat significant cap space when the surrounding roster has plenty of holes.
“It’s such a bummer because it’s almost like you’re saying, "Hey LeBron, we’re tired of you." No, that’s not the case. That’s crazy. As it is, this is the longest-tenured team he’s ever been with, and it doesn’t feel right to say that. But the fact is, when you think of LeBron James’s career, the Lakers will be the third part of it, right? He is a Cleveland Cavalier through and through. That Miami Heat era was maybe the most fun basketball era, maybe behind Golden State, but not lower than two. The Lakers come in third there.
“Mark Walter is the new owner; the Buss family is kind of being ushered out. Jeanie may be on board going into next year from what we’re hearing. But by all means, this is Mark Walter’s team, and this is Luka’s team. And Marc Walter will sit down with Luka and say, "This is your call. What do you want to do?" Oklahoma City’s not getting worse anytime soon. The Spurs are building something scary. The Timberwolves are going to be a problem for a while now as long as Anthony Edwards is there. If we’re going to rebuild this thing, now is the time to do it. “
You can stay up to date on LeBron’s free agency saga beginning Monday with the debut of 97.1 The Fan, the first-ever FM all-sports station in Los Angeles. Here’s the full programming schedule:
6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. PT: “Derek & Decker” with Derek Fisher and Cody Decker
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT: “Brock & Alex” with Brock Vereen and Alex Curry
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT: “D-Mac & Reiter” with Doug McKain and Bill Reiter