LeBron James may be the very definition of an iron man, but he won’t be able to play basketball forever. It’s no secret that the 40-year-old’s NBA career is dwindling. James hasn’t revealed how much longer he intends to to play in the league., but he has made it clear that his main goal is to compete for championships. If that truly is his desire, Stephen A. Smith believes LeBron needs to call a new team home.
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For the last seven years, that home has been the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the team at a time of complacency and helped them evolve into a bona fide contender. The Lakers won an NBA championship in 2020 under his lead. Unfortunately, the team as a whole doesn’t have the talent to compete with other juggernauts in the Western Conference.
The presence of Luka Doncic certainly increases LA’s championship aspirations but doesn’t fully compensate for all the holes on the roster. Smith’s hopes for the Lakers to contend aren’t the most optimistic either.
“It has become crystal clear that pretty much the weather in Hollywood is the only reason why LeBron is there,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “‘Cause he d*** sure ain’t winning a no championship there.”
This past offseason saw the West increase in talent, which doesn’t serve the Lakers well. In Smith’s mind, there are a few teams the Lakers won’t have a realistic chance at overcoming.
“Not with Oklahoma City. Be mindful of Dallas. Don’t dismiss Houston. Minnesota and [Anthony Edwards] already sent them home,” Smith proclaimed.
Smith didn’t even mention the Denver Nuggets, who may have built the best team surrounding Nikola Jokic. Even the Lakers’ in-city counterpart, the Los Angeles Clippers, improved with additions of Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, John Collins and Chris Paul.
LeBron would certainly tip the scales if he were to play for another Western Conference foe. However, a familiar situation in the East piques his interest.
“Why don’t you just come back to Cleveland to end your career?” Smith asked. “He would have a better chance of winning the championship in Cleveland than he would in LA.”
The only sensible way the Cavaliers would remain potent title contenders with LeBron is if he signed with the team next offseason. James’ decision to opt in to his $52.6 million player option would require the Cavaliers to match that salary in a potential trade.
A trade is even more difficult, since the Cavaliers are a second-round team, which means they are unable to aggregate contracts. They would have to make a separate trade to fall under the second apron but would then require gutting most of their core to add LeBron.
If James were to sign as a free agent, though, the Cavaliers would be an ideal situation. They already have a go-to scorer in Donovan Mitchell and an elite defensive presence with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Cleveland wouldn’t demand a high output like the Lakers have done the past few years.
LeBron ending his career in Cleveland would be a poetic finish to one of the greatest stories of any athlete in sports history.
