SocraticGadfly: LeBron to LA? Which LA? Maybe not? And Westbrook?

September 18, 2017

LeBron to LA? Which LA? Maybe not? And Westbrook?

LeBron James may go to L.A. next year, but if you're betting on the Lakers, maybe don't. He's got other options, of course, and he may decide to pursue one of them instead.

Why would he not go to the Lakers?

The word is "ball."

Or rather, "Ball."

As in Lonzo Ball and daddy LaVar.

LeBron isn't about to put up with daddy's bullshitting about his kid, or about daddy trying to put Lonzo as the No. 1 option on that team ahead of LeBron. Magic Johnson on the Lakers conglomeration may laugh about it, but that's different.

Besides, Lonzo, and Lakers head coach Luke Walton, might want to play a more up-tempo game than what best suits LeBron at this stage in his career.

So, what are other possibilities? And cast your vote in the poll at right.

Could the Clippers free the necessary cap room?

Possible.

Would Blake Griffin accept being second banana to LeBron?

Possible.

Will Clipps consultant Jerry West do his hardest sales job on LeBron?

Certainly.

Will the Logo do the same with Russell Westbrook, who might also be Lakers-averse due to Daddy Ball?

Of course.

DeAndre Jordan has a player option for 2018-19, but, West can probably finagle around that. Austin Rivers, the reason West has his current gig and Austin's daddy was sidelined, also has a player option for next year, but his is pretty small. They still owe Danilo Gallinari for a few years, bus his positional flexibility makes him worth keeping.

Either Russ or LeBron with Blake, a decent Gallinari and Patrick Beverley, who they'll certainly work to resign? That would be a pretty dynamic team. And, if West could get Jordan to take less on that player option in exchange for making it part of an extension, he could make this happen. Rivers money will come off the year after that and provide the room to resign Beverley.

The best sidebar of this? Daddy Ball and all his Big Baller Brand shite would get faced.

Outside of that?

Maybe LeBron convinces Westbrook and Paul George to stay in OKC while he comes there as the anti-Kevin Durant. Wouldn't THAT be the verschnizzle?

Maybe the Spurs pull something out of Gregg Popovich's and R.C. Buford's backside to bring him to San Antonio.

I've not done the cap numbers there, but ... maybe? I think they're pretty doable for OKC at least.

Or maybe Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert pulls something out of HIS ass and LeBron stays home.

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Sidebar: From a couple of weeks ago, here's my thoughts on which team won the Kyrie Irving trade.

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