The Celtics have positioned themselves to own the Eastern Conference for the next five years unless a familiar foil screws it up.
We're talking, of course, about LeBron James.
The Best Player in the World has another decision to make this winter and for most of the last year we've expected him to take his talents west. The Lakers were considered a preferred destination for reasons that make *some* sense from a basketball perspective -- L.A. has cleared the cap space to sign two max-contract players and has the assets (enjoy Lithuania, LaVar Ball) to trade for a third star. James could grow his business/entertainment interests in Hollywood while playing for the league's marquee franchise.
Still, let's be honest. Are an aging LeBron, Paul George, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo really enough to compete in a loaded West that includes the Warriors and Rockets? James could spend three years on par with, say, the Blazers and Thunder, without ever cracking that top two. Not the ideal way to spend one's glory years.
If not L.A., then where? Joining the Warriors would signal his surrender and he's already on record that such rumors are "nonsense." Joining the Rockets would require that either he or Chris Paul play for nothing, though we should put nothing past miracle-working GM Daryl Morey. (And it's worth noting the oddsmakers consider Houston his most likely landing spot). The Spurs are in flux, especially with Kawhi Leonard unhappy.
That leaves James contemplating a return to Cleveland, which is disintegrating before our eyes, or gambling on the Lakers.
But what if there's a another option? What if there's a team that's not traditionally considered a destination, but still plays in a huge media market with an outstanding young nucleus that's only improving?
What if he joins the 76ers?
The rumors have percolated for months now, including an apparently false one that James spent the All-Star break scouting high schools in Philly. If you're Danny Ainge and the Celtics, facing James for the end of his prime -- assuming there is an end to his prime -- while Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid ascend is definitely not how you envisioned the Kyrie Irving-Gordon Hayward partnership unfolding. As it is, Philly was already going to be a handful.
Outside of Houston, there isn't a team on Lebron's radar with as much talent as the Sixers. Philly has won eight straight to leap to fourth in the Eastern Conference, and with six wins in its final eight games could finish with 50 victories for the first time since Allen Iverson and Co. got stomped by the Lakers in the 2001 Finals.
It'll have to do so without Embiid, who suffered a freak fracture of his eye socket and a concussion after cracking heads with No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz on a sloppy dribble handoff Wednesday. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, which could impact his playoff availability. Regardless, the Sixers have emerged as the proverbial team no one wants to face in April, thanks to Simmons' play-making, Embiid's dominance, and a strong supporting cast that includes versatile big man Dario Saric and sharpshooters J.J. Redick and Robert Covington.
Now imagine adding the King to that mix. Talk about a worst-case scenario for the Celtics. Not only would James remain in the conference, he'd join your division.
And for those who raise reasonable questions about James' ability to co-exist with another ball-dominant big man in Simmons, James turns 34 in December and next season will be his 16th. He's one season removed from leading the NBA in minutes per game and that can't continue forever. At some point he'll shift to power forward. What better place to dial back than on a team that boasts a player with many of James' physical attributes?
Ainge has spoken often about the moving-target nature of building a contender. You can't predict who'll become available, which teams will be doomed by bad chemistry, or which stars will snap their ankles five minutes into the season. There's too much uncertainty.
That said, the odds of James packing his backs for the other coast seemed solid this fall, especially as Cleveland devolved into chaos following the Irving trade. For an Atlantic Division rival to emerge as a legit suitor . . . ugh.
We'll see how this unfolds over the summer, but for now it's hard to shake the feeling that the Celtics aren't rid of LeBron James just yet.