All eyes are on LeBron James as he decides where he wants to play his 24th season after telling the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning. As expected, teams have been lining up to try and acquire his services, as it is rumored that wherever he signs will not be based on money.
Hearing that news, the Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to be high on his list despite being a second apron team and only able to offer a veteran minimum to their homegrown talent. Cleveland is expected to keep multiple roster spots open, in case of the event of needing to bring his son Bronny James to the roster, via NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer:
One conspiracy whisper making the rounds: They want to make sure that they have open roster spots to be able to trade for the Lakers’ Bronny James in the event that they are able to welcome Dad back as a free agent signee.
Notably, the Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s contract the day before the news of LeBron’s departure breaking and it put into question the future of the former USC Trojan in Los Angeles. He showed flashes in his sophomore season and even got to play spot minutes in the postseason, scoring five points in Game 3 against the Houston Rockets.
For LeBron, it makes too much sense for him to not return where it all started and if the Cavaliers are able to acquire Bronny, it adds a cherry on top. However, the 41-year-old star will take his time making his decision and truly evaluate all his options to give him a chance to win a championship.
In addition, the Eastern Conference has seen an influx of talent with Kawhi Leonard traded back to the Toronto Raptors, Giannis Antetokounmpo moving to the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown getting shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers are expected to make some noise now that Tyrese Haliburton will be back. Cleveland is doing the most that they can to welcome back the Akron native for a third stint and if he does return, they will be right in the mix for contention in the East.
For the Lakers, if they are able to acquire a second-round pick or some sort of draft capital then they may be on board with sending Bronny wherever his dad decides to play.
Rich Paul explains how LeBron James came to decision to leave Lakers
Writing was on the wall for LeBron leaving the Lakers, as he played on a straight one-year deal and no signs pointed to an extension. When there was not much communication between both parties, something felt off and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul explained how LeBron came to the decision to leave Los Angeles.
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