[Amick] LeBron James' free agency: Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul or Paul George could sway decision

Potentially, though Lebron's nowhere near done. He will lure future stars and role players to the Lakers when he joins them. It's not like he has 1-2 years left of being an elite player. He's got a ways to go. He'll be competing, though it's hard to say how long the Warriors dynasty will go.

 

That's true but he'll have less and less to offer as the years go on, he's gonna be 34 already this year so I'm not sure that he's got much more than 1 or 2 years left of being an elite player that can carry a team. If he goes to the Lakers, we'll know that his 34 year old season is completely wasted so they'll have to regroup and see if they can get him enough help to even make the WCF when he's 35. I'm not saying it can't happen, but he won't be a primary option that much longer. Guys like Tim Duncan were contributing into his late 30's, but certainly not as a primary option. I think with Lebron it'll be similar.

Also, let's remember that this is best case scenario. No one thought Kobe was done at 34 but the next season he tore his Achilles and he kept playing but he was absolutely terrible after that. Players don't want to be wasting seasons in their mid 30's.

 

No, you stop deluding yourself, Lebron couldn't win 55 games in the weak east with a much better squad ... 2 years ago Lebron Kyrie and Love won only 51 games in Leastern Conference

 

Lebron just changed all his social media profile pics and banners to Akron/Cleveland related stuff...farewell?

 

If I'm Lebron nobody but the Celtics or Sixers make sense. With either of those teams, he can at least manage to keep his trips to the Finals streaks going. And if a few things were able to work for the Celtics, they could compete with the Warriors.

Imagine a scenario in which Lebron tells the Cavs he can opt-in and they can trade him for Gordon Hayward and maybe a pick or two or they can lose him outright to the Sixers or Lakers. Then the Celtics work out a deal in which they trade Kyrie and some picks for Kawhi. They then resign Smart.

A rotation that includes:

Guards: Rozier/Smart/Brown
Forwards: Lebron/Kawhi/Tatum/Morris
Bigs: Horford/Baynes/ Robert Williams/Semi Ojelaye

Definitely looks like one that could compete with the Warriors.

And if Kawhi is intent on leaving I have a hard time believing the Spurs could do better than Kyrie + one or two of Boston's many 1st round picks for him. Cleveland would be very lucky to get Hayward to replace Lebron. That's a best case scenario for them too if they'd like to remain competitive. If they get a few picks (even 2nd rounders) that'd be the icing on the cake if Lebron is going to leave anyway.

As for the Sixers,

I don't see Simmons and Lebron fitting together at all. Would they consider trading him + Covington to the Spurs for Kawhi?

Embiid
Lebron
Kawhi
Reddick
Fultz

That'd look pretty great with Saric and McConnell for sure on the bench. Maybe they get some production out of Zhaire Smith (who might look great with a passing forward like Lebron) and hopefully they'd be able to resign Illyasova and Belinelli who played their roles perfectly in Philly.

I don't think this team would be as good as the proposed Celtics roster above and I have questions about how Embiid matches up with the Warriors or the Rockets, but this team would be leaps and bounds better than any team in the East was in 2018. That's for damn sure.

 

There's elite level, then there's GOAT level. I think 1-2 more years of GOAT level status is reasonable. After that, it may be a steep hill down.

 

Either way...it's a near-certainty that LeBron is going to be a Top 5-10 player for at least the next 4-5 years. Stars will join him in Los Angeles.

 

Neither of those are "near certainties", in fact, I'd be shocked if he was still a top 10 player 4 years from now at 38 years old. Also, the history of stars NOT going to LA is enough to cast doubt on that part as well.

 

He gone.

Spoiler

 

I'd be willing to bet good money that LeBron, who's currently unquestionably the league's best player, is still playing at an All-Star level for many more years.

 

I think he'll make All Star teams for many more years unless he gets injured like Kobe did....but I'd be shocked if he's still a legit top 10 player in the league at 38 even if he never gets injured. In fact, I think you'd be hard pressed to find ANY player who was a top 10 player in the NBA past the age of 36. I mean, it might have happened but I can't think of when that might have been.

 

Maybe, but I don't see why not. He's 33 and just had what many consider to be his best NBA season. He spends millions in recovery treatments for his body. He's the smartest player in the league, so his game will likely age well. He'll continue to dominate.

Given that he's probably not coming to Houston, I hope I am incorrect, though.

 

Always was. He either goes to a team he knows can win it all or he stays in Cleveland. I think it would be stupid for him to go to the Lakers knowing he has no shot at a title.

 

*** LBJ if he is not a Rocket next season.

I wish him postseason failure here on out until he retires with fewer rings than Kobe and MJ.

Look forward to beating which ever team he goes to.

He will forever be known as "LEBITCH" to me.

 

is there any doubt if we had lebron this past season we are champs?

 

Houston would have swept GS 4-0, and any team from the East too.

 

He's 33 now, but he'll turn 34 during the first part of the season so I count that as 34 because that'll be how old he is during the part of the season that matters. I think if I could have come up with even one player in the entire history of the game that was a top 10 player past the age of 35 I would feel that Lebron doing so was more likely to happen.

I do think he'll still be good so long as he avoids serious injury, but his days of carrying teams is all but over.....and that's why I see a role alongside Harden and CP3 to be the best thing for his career. If he tries to keep doing what he did last year in Cleveland, that's only going to make his decline begin sooner. He can't be the only ball handler on his team anymore. It's just too much to continue to ask of him.

 

you are severely underrating James Harden

 

Kareem was still very very good after 35.