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As free agency continues, trade speculation around LeBron James has continued to be a headline of the offseason. The conversations about James potentially being traded from the Lakers started to circulate after he opted into his $52.6 million option to return to the team for the upcoming season.
To further enflame the conversations, Rich Paul's statement on Sunday morning vaguely hinted that James could be interested in moving on and competing for a championship elsewhere in the final years of his career.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Although Paul's quote wasn't an outright trade demand, it appears that James is monitoring the Lakers' moves to see if they're truly setting themselves up to be a true contender in the Western Conference. The first couple of days of free agency for Los Angeles haven't been encouraging, as the team hasn't made any significant moves outside of signing former Kings sharpshooter Jake LaRavia as they wait to see if they land Deandre Ayton.
Should the Lakers emerge from free agency as losers, James could deem that it's time to move on, and NBA Insider Eric Pincus has proposed an interesting mock trade in his latest piece on the Bleacher Report that would bring the four-time NBA champion back to Cleveland for his last dance.
Editor's note: This trade was suggested on June 30th before free agency
|
Team |
Players/Picks Received |
|---|---|
Cavaliers |
|
|
– LeBron James (from Lakers) | – Bronny James (from Lakers) |
|
– Shake Milton (from Lakers) | |
|
– Walker Kessler (from Jazz) | |
|
– Jaden Springer (from Jazz) | |
|
– 2027 first-round pick* (from Jazz) | |
|
– 2029 first-round pick** (from Jazz) | |
|
– $16.47 million trade exception (De'Andre Hunter) | |
Lakers |
|
|
– De'Andre Hunter (from Cavaliers) | – Jarrett Allen (from Cavaliers) |
|
– Jordan Clarkson (from Jazz) | |
|
– KJ Martin (from Jazz) | |
|
– Svi Mykhailiuk (from Jazz) | |
Jazz |
|
|
– Jock Landale (from Rockets) | – Darius Garland (from Cavaliers) |
Rockets |
|
|
– 2030 LA Clippers second-rounder (via Jazz) | – Dorian Finney-Smith (from Lakers via sign-and-trade) |
The mock trade either shows that Pingus has a future in an executive role in an NBA front office or that he knows something is coming. The trade would be a great move for the Lakers, who would get a surefire center option in Jarrett Allen that would be a perfect lob threat for Luka Doncic as well as an elite 3-and-D defender in De'Andre Hunter. Not to be lost in the mock transaction would be Jordan Clarkson's return to the Lakers as a volume scorer, and an athletic forward in KJ Martin.
The Cavaliers would also be in an advantageous position to win, as they'd receive LeBron James, who would serve as a co-star with Donovan Mitchell and share the frontcourt with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley. Plus, their front line wouldn't take much of a step back without Allen, as they'd add Walker Kessler. Plus, they'd set themselves up well for the future post-LeBron with two first-round picks and a $16.47 million trade exception.
While a LeBron James trade seems unlikely at this point, a four-team trade of this magnitude would certainly shift the balance of power in the NBA and fortify both the Lakers and Cavaliers as serious contenders almost instantly.
