One of the biggest questions of the NBA offseason is the future of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. If James chooses to continue his career for a 24th season, he will be an unrestricted free agent free to sign with any team.
And in the eyes of Hall of Famer and NBA analyst Charles Barkley, there is only one team James should sign with this summer.
“LeBron only has one play in my opinion, and that’s to go back to Cleveland,” Barkley said on ESPN’s Get Up. “That’s his only smart, logical choice. Go back and finish his career with the Cavs. It’s a perfect fix… It doesn’t do him any good to stay in LA because No. 1, they’re not going to be competitive in the West. And also, it’s time for the Lakers to turn the team over to Luka [Doncic]…
“They’re not going to compete with the Spurs. They’re not gonna compete with OKC or the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 42-year-old guy. They’re not going to be competitive… If he stays in LA, he’s doing it for off-court reasons. But if he goes back to the Cavs, where I believe he shouldn’t have never left in the first place, the Cavs would probably be the favorite in the East. And that’s to me is his only logical choice.”
When it comes to telling the story of James’ career, ending in Cleveland, his hometown squad where he started his career and whom he brought the franchise’s first NBA Championship, would be perfect. Whether or not it’s his best move from a competitive standpoint, and bringing him closer to winning a championship, is another question.
Competing with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the West is an extremely tough task without a doubt, and one the Lakers will try to navigate and accomplish this offseason. But the road in the East is far from easy as well and James joining the Cavaliers does not automatically put them above the likes of the New York Knicks, who could win the 20206 NBA Championship, or teams like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers who will be welcoming back All-Star Tyrese Haliburton next season.
It is a very tough decision for James to make this summer assuming he does continue playing and he will weigh every potential option before choosing where he plays next year.
Austin Reaves hopes to continue playing with LeBron James
Someone who disagrees with Barkley is Austin Reaves, who has spent his entire career as James’ teammate with the Lakers and hopes to continue playing alongside him going forward.
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