According to a report from Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the Toronto Raptors were “dark horse” contenders to sign LeBron James at one point during the summer before the superstar eventually decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I think at one point, Toronto was kind of a dark horse there. I think there was some sniffing around on both ends.”
James had the NBA in a panic this offseason as it awaited his decision on where he would play the next chapter of his career. While many thought the debate was between the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, there were a few other teams that thought they had a chance to sign him with one of them being the Raptors.
One can only imagine what a Raptors' team with James, Kyle Lowry, and either DeMar DeRozan or Kawhi Leonard would be able to accomplish. Being in the East would easily make them the favorites to win the conference, even with the Boston Celtics improving their roster every year.
Toronto certainly would have been an intriguing landing spot for James. That being said, they were never seriously considered and James ultimately ended up taking his talents to Los Angeles.
The fact that James even considered signing with the Raptors is a bit surprising. Toronto has never been talked about as a draw for big stars, but James considering them may change that.
Over the past few years, the Raptors have proven that they are contenders each and every season. They did move on from Dwane Casey this offseason, but new head coach Nick Nurse is very respected in the league. Toronto should be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference once again this season.
Expect to see the Raptors end up being one of the top three teams in the East in 2018-19. James may not have signed with Toronto, but this report is intriguing, to say the least.
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