Welcome to "The Decision" part three. For just the third time in his NBA career, LeBron James will have to decide where he will be playing next year and most likely pick the spot where he will end his career.
We don't know a lot about his mindset on where he'd like to play, but we do know what he's looking for. James has publicly said numerous times that he wants to be in a good spot for his family while still receiving a contract on the upper end of the NBA spectrum. This means teams that can only offer massive pay cuts are out of the equation. We also know that he wants to be on a team that could contend for a championship. Knowing these factors will influence his decision heavily, there are six teams that are in contention for signing LeBron James.
1. Houston Rockets
Adding LeBron to this roster will be a challenge for Houston. They are not anywhere near the cap space needed to sign him and will most likely have to trade away several assets to acquire him. This presents a problem. Even if they do manage to pull it off, the team will not look the same as they did when they took the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the playoffs.
Yes, they'll have LeBron, but they will have to lose several of their key role players that made them as good as they were like Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza. Although, there is the possibility that LeBron would favor playing with one of his best friends in Chris Paul so Houston still remains in the LeBron James sweepstakes.
2. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio faces a similar issue with Houston with their cap space. They won't be able to sign him without losing key players on their team. The Spurs have always been an organization that promotes "team-first" so it's hard to see them giving that up for James. San Antonio does give him a good chance to contend for a championship and he does respect Gregg Popovich deeply. LeBron would love to have a coach like him and for the Spurs, it's hard to turn down one of the greatest players that have ever touched a basketball.
The most likely way they could do it is by trading away Pau Gasol to get rid of his expensive contract, but it'll be hard to convince another team to take on an aging power forward's contract whose best years were nearly a decade ago. Recent reports that Kahwi Leonard wanting out of San Antonio could ruin their chances of convincing LeBron to sign with them
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are good, they're young and they have the cap space to sign LeBron James. This would be a great destination for James. He would get to stay in the Eastern Conference where a trip to the NBA Finals is nearly guaranteed. His family might prefer a warmer destination but they've also lived in Cleveland for the past four years so it shouldn't be too hard of a sell. The only issue here is how he would adapt to the team.
Floor spacing might become an issue with James and Ben Simmons on the floor together as both are ball dominant wing players who don't specialize in shooting. In fact, Simmons will nearly never take a jump-shot past the free throw line. It's hard to imagine Simmons being as effective as he was if Lebron is on the court with him, but creative lineups and offensive sets could easily make up for this. The 76ers have plenty of shooters and Simmons and LeBron can adjust to any offense.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
The destination is perfect for his family and they have the cap space to do it. The Lakers aren't as good as the 76ers so competing for a championship, especially in the Western Conference, could be an issue here.
However, there's no reason to believe that the young players on the Lakers won't develop into the players they were predicted to be, especially with LeBron on the team making them better. Add in Paul George and maybe Kahwi Leonard, who have both expressed interest in going to Los Angeles and teaming up with LeBron, and the Lakers could suddenly regain their feared status that they had in the Kobe Bryant era and the Magic Johnson era.
5. Golden State Warriors
Now you're probably scratching your head just pondering the idea here, but it is a realistic possibility. The bay isn't too much of a downgrade from L.A. and this team gives LeBron his best chance at winning a title. In order to sign James, they would most likely have to trade away Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to make room for his contract but that could be worth it. One issue here is the Warriors wouldn't want to blow up their starting rotation to make room for LeBron James, especially when they just swept him in the Finals. Why would they fix something that isn't broken?
Also, LeBron's legacy would be tarnished forever if he took the easy way out to win championships by joining possibly the greatest team ever. However, LeBron has stated that he doesn't really care what people think of him anymore and if his goal is truly to win championships then this is the spot to do it. He is an upgrade from Draymond Green and Klay Thompson's production can easily be replaced.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Maybe LeBron doesn't want to go anywhere. Cleveland is his home and the state of Ohio has always been home for him. He won't be able to win championships with their team now, but maybe that isn't a priority for him anymore. Cleveland offers him the most money and it's where he's most comfortable with his family.
Cleveland has a chance to get better with the number eight pick of the draft and they can make off season moves with players that aren't really working out. If LeBron is happy here, then there's a good chance he'll stay because he seems to be satisfied with his accomplishments in his NBA career.
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