The Los Angeles Lakers have a big offseason ahead, including the free agency of 41-year-old star LeBron James. Hopefully, they can take a page out of the L.A. Rams’ book, as they made the splash of the NFL offseason this week by landing reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
The Garrett acquisition was pricey — costing young star Jared Verse, as well as a first, second and third round pick — but it instantly vaulted the Rams to Super Bowl favorites. And while James weighs his basketball future, he has time to welcome Garrett to the city he’s called home since 2018, via ESPN Cleveland:
LeBron James welcomes Myles Garrett to LA 🧐🧐🧐 pic.twitter.com/vhERgs4ePX
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 3, 2026
Perhaps no athlete on Earth knows the transition of being a Cleveland mega-star to an L.A. icon better than James. He left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Lakers in 2018 and brought the purple and gold a championship in his second season. Garrett will hope to do the same alongside reigning MVP Matthew Stafford for the Rams.
It’s possible that this warm welcome from James is a signal that he is hoping to return to the Lakers in free agency this summer. However, it could also be a nice gesture to another Cleveland star, even as James prepares to either retire or leave the Lakers for another team.
Nothing with James is completely unintentional, as many have learned over his 23 years in the NBA limelight. However, trying to read into his social media messaging is often a difficult task, and it ends up being better to let the chips fall where they may.
L.A. fans can just be happy that, if James leaves, the city already has another superstar in its presence in Garrett.
Myles Garrett makes pitch for LeBron James to stay
Garrett spoke about his relationship with James at his introductory press conference with the Rams, and mentioned his upcoming free agency, saying he hopes that the two can play just miles apart from one another in the same city.
“He’s been a positive force in my life,” Garrett said of James at the Rams practice facility. “Just giving me advice when he can. Always helping trying to work through different situations early on in my career. I’m sure we’ll have some more conversations now being in the same city. We’ll see, but I haven’t gotten to talk to him yet.”
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