James in Los Angeles as free agency beckons
CLEVELAND — /H%URQ -DPHV ÀHZ back to Los Angeles from a family vacation in the Caribbean. He could be there longer than usual.
Hours before NBA free agency RSHQHG ZLWK WKH WKUHH WLPH FKDP pion as its most coveted prize, James returned Saturday to Southern Cali IRUQLD ZKHUH KH KDV WZR KRPHV DQG D ¿OP SURGXFWLRQ FRPSDQ\ 7KH /DNHUV are hoping they can persuade him WR VLJQ ZLWK WKHP DQG UHWXUQ WKHP to glory.
Los Angeles is among the teams in the mix to land James after his agent told the Cleveland Cavaliers on )ULGD\ WKDW KH ZLOO QRW H[HUFLVH KLV $35.6 million contract option for next season. At 12:01 a.m. today, James became an unrestricted free agent, DQG DJHQW 5LFK 3DXO ZDV H[SHFWHG WR FRQWDFW VHYHUDO WHDPV ZLWK WKH Lakers and Cavs atop his list.
By declining his option, James posi tioned himself to be able to choose ZKHUH KH¶OO SOD\ QH[W DQG &OHYHODQG just up the road from his home near Akron, remains a strong possibil ity. But there are at least three other teams — and maybe an outsider or WZR ² ZLWK OHJLWLPDWH VKRWV DW ODQGLQJ -DPHV ZKR PDGH LW FOHDU IROORZLQJ WKLV \HDU¶V 1%$ )LQDOV WKDW KH¶V VWLOO GULYHQ WR ZLQ FKDPSLRQVKLSV
While every team dreams of being UXOHG E\ .LQJ -DPHV RQO\ D IHZ KDYH a legit chance of signing him.
Here are the cases — for and against — the leading contenders:
CLEVELAND
Why: Home; money. James came back four years ago WR D KHUR¶V ZHOFRPH VRPHWKLQJ WKDW VHHPHG XQLPDJLQDEOH ZKHQ KH OHIW LQ disgrace four years earlier for Miami. %XW KH YRZHG WR GR HYHU\WKLQJ KH FRXOG WR GHOLYHU D WLWOH WR FKDPSLRQVKLS starved Cleveland. He delivered in 2016, erasing past sins and raising -DPHV WR D ZRUVKLSSHG OHYHO IHZ DWK letes in any sport have experienced. His family is comfortable here and LW¶V ZKHUH KH KDV FRPSOHWH FRQWURO
7KH &DYV FDQ DOVR RIIHU KLP WKH PRVW OXFUDWLYH SDFNDJH D ¿YH \HDU $209 million contract.
Why not: )ODZHG URVWHU EOHPLVKHG UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK RZQHU 'DQ *LOEHUW
/DVW VXPPHU¶V VWXQQLQJ WUDGH RI JXDUG .\ULH ,UYLQJ OHIW WKH &DYV ZLWKRXW a quality running mate for James, ZKR ZDV IRUFHG WR FDUU\ D KHDYLHU offensive load throughout the regular season and playoffs. Cleveland has GHHS VDODU\ FDS LVVXHV ² SDUWLDOO\ FDXVHG E\ -DPHV¶ IDLOXUH WR FRPPLW ORQJ WHUP ² DQG WKH &DYV FXUUHQWO\ lack enough talent to unseat the FKDPSLRQ *ROGHQ 6WDWH :DUULRUV
*LOEHUW DQG -DPHV PHQGHG VRPH fences for his return in 2014, but they remain distant other than a shared FRPPLWPHQW WR ZLQQLQJ *LOEHUW KDV JRQH DERYH DQG EH\RQG ¿QDQFLDO EDU ULHUV WR DSSHDVH -DPHV EXW WKH ZHOO could be running dry.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS Why: 6DODU\ FDS VSDFH EXVLQHVV interests; iconic franchise.
With some savvy moves, the Lak HUV DUH SRLVHG WR SRWHQWLDOO\ DGG WZR VXSHUVWDUV ² -DPHV DQG 3DXO *HRUJH DQG PD\EH .DZKL /HRQDUG ² WR D WHDP IHDWXULQJ XS DQG FRPLQJ WDOHQWV OLNH Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and /RQ]R %DOO ZKR LV UHSRUWHGO\ GHDOLQJ ZLWK D NQHH LQMXU\ -DPHV ORYHV WKH +ROO\ZRRG OLJKWV DQG ZLWK WZR KRPHV LQ WKH /RV $QJHOHV DUHD DV ZHOO DV D ¿OP SURGXFWLRQ FRPSDQ\ KH KDV already established some roots in the ODQG RI PRYLH VWDUV DQG VORZ PRYLQJ WUDI¿F 7KH DSSHDO RI SOD\LQJ IRU RQH RI WKH OHDJXH¶V PRVW VWRULHG WHDPV LV another allure.
Why not: Youth; the Western Conference.
7KHUH¶V OLWWOH GRXEW -DPHV KDV some quality years ahead of him. But does he have enough time to let D JURXS RI XQSURYHQ SOD\HUV ZLWK QR postseason experience develop into a title contender? And if he jumps FRQIHUHQFHV IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ KLV career, the path to the Finals is far more treacherous.
PHILADELPHIA
Rising team; staying in the
Why:
East.
In Sixers guard Ben Simmons, James sees a younger version of KLPVHOI DQG KH¶G UHOLVK WKH FKDQFH WR SOD\ DORQJVLGH WKH \HDU ROG ZKLOH PHQWRULQJ KLP 7KH 6L[HUV DOVR KDYH center Joel Embiid, 24, projected to EHFRPH WKH JDPH¶V QH[W GRPLQDQW ELJ PHQ 3KLODGHOSKLD ZRXOG LQVWDQWO\ vault from conference contender to IDYRULWH ZLWK -DPHV ZKR FRXOG PDNH D strong run at his ninth straight Finals in Year One.
Why not: 7RR \RXQJ dysfunction.
Much like the Lakers, the Sixers lack postseason experience and James ZRXOG EH VXUURXQGHG E\ SOD\HUV ZKR have barely tasted the postseason. *HQHUDO PDQDJHU %U\DQ &RODQJHOR¶V UHVLJQDWLRQ IROORZLQJ DQ LQYHVWLJD WLRQ LQWR ZKHWKHU KH FUHDWHG 7ZLWWHU DFFRXQWV WR FULWLFL]H KLV RZQ SOD\HUV has given the impression that the WHDP LVQ¶W RSHUDWLQJ LQ FRQFHUW DQG WKHQ ZRXOG WXUQ RII -DPHV TXLFNO\
OTHER CONTENDERS Houston: While the Rockets once VHHPHG D JRRG ¿W -DPHV GHFOLQLQJ KLV option all but eliminated the chances RI KLP MRLQLQJ XS ZLWK FORVH IULHQG Chris Paul and MVP James Harden. ,I -DPHV KDG RSWHG LQ ZLWK WKH &DYV WKH\ FRXOG KDYH ZRUNHG RXW D VLJQ DQG WUDGH ZLWK +RXVWRQ
San Antonio: James reveres Spurs FRDFK *UHJJ 3RSRYLFK EXW OLYLQJ LQ 7H[DV GRHVQ¶W VHHP DSSHDOLQJ WR WKH VWDU¶V IDPLO\ DQG WKH 6SXUV DUH VWLOO WU\LQJ WR ¿JXUH RXW ZKDW WR GR ZLWK /HRQDUG ZKR FDQ EHFRPH D IUHH DJHQW after next season. IURQW RI¿FH