LeBron James opted in with the Lakers, a one-year deal for his record 23rd season that pays more than $52 million for what would be his eighth year in Los Angeles.
James lived his stated longevity dream of teaming with son Bronny on the court with the Lakers last season and helped L.A.’s push to the playoffs as a co-star of Luka Dončić.
He said the goal remains a championship, and his primary purpose for playing.
But even LeBron seems certain the best chance for a Larry O’Brien Trophy won’t be in Los Angeles.
In the words of his agent, Rich Paul, James “knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that. But he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We’re very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
There are a lot of signals wrapped in one series of sentences from Paul, who said nothing about James being part of the future or the franchise. The neon undertones of the snapshot Paul is sharing inform other teams James would be available — and interested.
A team with under-25 restricted free agents — Golden State with Jonathan Kuminga, the Chicago Bulls with Josh Giddey, and 76ers breakout star Quentin Grimes — and draft capital might be the ideal trade partner for the Lakers if they indeed opted to part with James.
The Warriors are already the NBA’s AARP ad with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. We all felt the bromance connection James and Curry had on Team USA in Paris last summer and on All-Star Game stages before that.
Would Golden State contend with that literal graybeard grouping? I can’t see this lineup outlasting the Thunder in a seven-minute game, let alone a seven-game series.
Chicago is nowhere near contending. Moving Giddey, who is not a premium scorer but can stir the drink as a playmaking and rebounding point guard, makes all the sense in the world for the Bulls if the sign-and-trade brings a younger centerpiece who can pair with Coby White and shift the franchise out of perpetual playoff play-in range.
Grimes is an interesting case but also the type of piece that would be more attractive to teams outside of Philadelphia, simply based on Daryl Morey’s track record for stacking superstars. Adding James near the end of his career with Joel Embiid coming off another knee surgery and Paul George far from a certainty, given his track record, stacks up as a nothing burger for the 76ers.
Maybe you can picture James in Memphis, but I’m not sure that’s happening. Would he play second or third fiddle for the Wolves? At what cost to Minnesota?
It’s not that James is unwanted. It’s that the timing — and the numbers — won’t add up to make it work.
Sure, James might get a text from old friends Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra about a reunion on South Beach. But which of these moves actually puts LeBron closer to that one-more-championship yearning?
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Dexter Lawrence: Giants Don’t Want to Let Eagles RB Saquon Barkley ‘Get Hot’
Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley is off to an underwhelming start on the stat sheet, but his former teammate isn't letting that impact how the New York Giants game-plan for the running back."[It] could be teams scheming for him [why Barkley is off to a slow start]. It happens, but you don't want to be the team to let him get hot," Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said about Barkley on Tuesday ahead of the team's Week 6 matchup against the NFC East-rival Eagles in New Jersey. "So, you've got to stay disciplined Thursday and go win."Through Philadelphia's first five games, Barkley has rushed for 267 yards and three touchdowns on 3.2 yards per carry. For context, Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on a career-high 5.8 yards per carry last season, becoming just the ninth player in […]
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Cooper Flagg is the heavy favorite, so is he still worth a bet?
When we covered Defensive Player of the Year odds, we dived into why making a minus-money bet before the season even begins is unwise. Yes, Victor Wembanyama is probably going to win the award, but the value there just isn't worthwhile. There's far more risk than reward at a minus-money price.Well, here we have yet another award with a minus-money favorite. The longest odds you can find on Cooper Flagg right now to win 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year are -175 at DraftKings. Yet there are three critical differences between Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year that actually make Flagg a reasonable bet:There is no 65-game minimum for eligibility. Sure, if Flagg misses half of the season, he probably won't win. But you won't have to worry about counting absences. You can win this award […]
2025 Week 6 NFL picks, odds, best bets from proven model: This 5-leg football parlay pays 25-1
A week after seizing control of the AFC South with a shootout victory over the Seattle Seahawks 38-35, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face another stiff test when they battle the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco is coming off a 26-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Buccaneers are 2-1 in the conference, while the 49ers are 4-0 against NFC foes. The SportsLine model favors the Buccaneers (-3) at home, with both teams bringing 3-2 spread records into the matchup.There are a number of intriguing matchups on the Week 6 NFL schedule, including Broncos vs. Jets (+7.5) in London, Rams vs. Ravens (+7.5), with Lamar Jackson's availability in doubt, Seahawks vs. Jaguars (-1.5), Lions vs. Chiefs (-2.5) on Sunday Night Football and Bears vs. Commanders (-4.5) on Monday Night Football. Which other teams have value […]
2025 WNBA Finals: Three keys for the Mercury to bounce back from 2-0 deficit to Aces
The 2025 WNBA Finals will shift from the Mojave Desert to the Sonoran Desert for Games 3 and 4 between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury. After stealing Game 1, the Aces cruised in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-ever best-of-seven series in WNBA history. The Mercury have been underdogs throughout this entire run, and fell behind in each of their first two series. A 2-0 deficit against a team with the best player in the world and plenty of championship experience is a different situation, however. Still, the Mercury are confident. "There's no panic, no pressure," Alyssa Thomas said Tuesday. "We love an underdog story. We love when people count us out. Of course, we put a tall task in front of us being down two [to] nothing, but there's still a lot of basketball left […]
Last Night in Baseball: The Mariners Are 1 Win From Their First ALCS Since 2001
Having a tough time following along with the MLB postseason? Just want to relive the best moments?Don't worry, we're here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:The Mariners win againGame 3 of the ALDS between the Mariners and Tigers took its time getting started thanks to a rain delay, but fans were eventually rewarded with an entertaining bout. Well, not Tigers fans. But they are playing with house money at this point, anyway, and can only be so upset after almost collapsing out of postseason qualification entirely.Seattle wasted little time getting ahead. J.P. Crawford drove in a run with a single in the third inning, then Randy Arozarena drove in Crawford with a single of his own. Eugenio Suárez would hit a […]
Today’s early best bets to target: Top Wednesday college football, MLB picks for Tigers-Mariners, Brewers-Cubs
With all four MLB postseason games in action, beginning with the Detroit Tigers hosting the Seattle Mariners are 3:08 p.m. ET, plus two college football games at night and the NHL season underway, Wednesday brings another deep online sports betting slate. Four teams (Mariners, Blue Jays, Brewers, Dodgers) are one win away from advancing to the Championship Series, while the Tigers, Yankees, Cubs and Phillies fight to keep their World Series dreams alive. The SportsLine model projects the Mariners to be the first team to secure a spot in the Championship Series, with the model picking Seattle to win the first game of the Wednesday slate, one of its Wednesday early best bets. The model also expects stronger offensive performances than expected in the Cubs vs. Brewers at 5:08 p.m. ET, making Over 6.5 runs one of its Wednesday best bets. It also […]
Related
Dexter Lawrence: Giants Don’t Want to Let Eagles RB Saquon Barkley ‘Get Hot’
Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley is off to an underwhelming start on the stat sheet, but his former teammate isn't letting that impact how the New York Giants game-plan for the running back."[It] could be teams scheming for him [why Barkley is off to a slow start]. It happens, but you don't want to be the team to let him get hot," Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said about Barkley on Tuesday ahead of the team's Week 6 matchup against the NFC East-rival Eagles in New Jersey. "So, you've got to stay disciplined Thursday and go win."Through Philadelphia's first five games, Barkley has rushed for 267 yards and three touchdowns on 3.2 yards per carry. For context, Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on a career-high 5.8 yards per carry last season, becoming just the ninth player in […]
NBA Rookie of the Year odds: Cooper Flagg is the heavy favorite, so is he still worth a bet?
When we covered Defensive Player of the Year odds, we dived into why making a minus-money bet before the season even begins is unwise. Yes, Victor Wembanyama is probably going to win the award, but the value there just isn't worthwhile. There's far more risk than reward at a minus-money price.Well, here we have yet another award with a minus-money favorite. The longest odds you can find on Cooper Flagg right now to win 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year are -175 at DraftKings. Yet there are three critical differences between Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year that actually make Flagg a reasonable bet:There is no 65-game minimum for eligibility. Sure, if Flagg misses half of the season, he probably won't win. But you won't have to worry about counting absences. You can win this award […]
2025 Week 6 NFL picks, odds, best bets from proven model: This 5-leg football parlay pays 25-1
A week after seizing control of the AFC South with a shootout victory over the Seattle Seahawks 38-35, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face another stiff test when they battle the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco is coming off a 26-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. The Buccaneers are 2-1 in the conference, while the 49ers are 4-0 against NFC foes. The SportsLine model favors the Buccaneers (-3) at home, with both teams bringing 3-2 spread records into the matchup.There are a number of intriguing matchups on the Week 6 NFL schedule, including Broncos vs. Jets (+7.5) in London, Rams vs. Ravens (+7.5), with Lamar Jackson's availability in doubt, Seahawks vs. Jaguars (-1.5), Lions vs. Chiefs (-2.5) on Sunday Night Football and Bears vs. Commanders (-4.5) on Monday Night Football. Which other teams have value […]
2025 WNBA Finals: Three keys for the Mercury to bounce back from 2-0 deficit to Aces
The 2025 WNBA Finals will shift from the Mojave Desert to the Sonoran Desert for Games 3 and 4 between the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury. After stealing Game 1, the Aces cruised in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-ever best-of-seven series in WNBA history. The Mercury have been underdogs throughout this entire run, and fell behind in each of their first two series. A 2-0 deficit against a team with the best player in the world and plenty of championship experience is a different situation, however. Still, the Mercury are confident. "There's no panic, no pressure," Alyssa Thomas said Tuesday. "We love an underdog story. We love when people count us out. Of course, we put a tall task in front of us being down two [to] nothing, but there's still a lot of basketball left […]
Last Night in Baseball: The Mariners Are 1 Win From Their First ALCS Since 2001
Having a tough time following along with the MLB postseason? Just want to relive the best moments?Don't worry, we're here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:The Mariners win againGame 3 of the ALDS between the Mariners and Tigers took its time getting started thanks to a rain delay, but fans were eventually rewarded with an entertaining bout. Well, not Tigers fans. But they are playing with house money at this point, anyway, and can only be so upset after almost collapsing out of postseason qualification entirely.Seattle wasted little time getting ahead. J.P. Crawford drove in a run with a single in the third inning, then Randy Arozarena drove in Crawford with a single of his own. Eugenio Suárez would hit a […]
Today’s early best bets to target: Top Wednesday college football, MLB picks for Tigers-Mariners, Brewers-Cubs
With all four MLB postseason games in action, beginning with the Detroit Tigers hosting the Seattle Mariners are 3:08 p.m. ET, plus two college football games at night and the NHL season underway, Wednesday brings another deep online sports betting slate. Four teams (Mariners, Blue Jays, Brewers, Dodgers) are one win away from advancing to the Championship Series, while the Tigers, Yankees, Cubs and Phillies fight to keep their World Series dreams alive. The SportsLine model projects the Mariners to be the first team to secure a spot in the Championship Series, with the model picking Seattle to win the first game of the Wednesday slate, one of its Wednesday early best bets. The model also expects stronger offensive performances than expected in the Cubs vs. Brewers at 5:08 p.m. ET, making Over 6.5 runs one of its Wednesday best bets. It also […]
Be the first to leave a comment