LeBron James signing with the Los Angeles Lakers instantly transformed the Lakers’ fortune. Signing with the team all the way back in 2018, the Lakers went from being a lottery team to a championship contender in a year.
Not only that, LBJ even led the team all the way to the promised land, winning the city its first NBA championship trophy since 2010. While the team might not have won a championship for the 2 seasons, it is clear that the Lakers are in win-now territory led by LeBron James.
It was also revealed that LBJ is also available for a 2-year-extension worth almost $97 million. While the inevitable free agency for Bron looms in the 2024 offseason, in an interview with Sean Deveney of Heavy, an Eastern Conference executive explained why Cleveland Cavaliers might be a sleeper pick for the LeBron and even Bronny James sweepstakes.
“The two things that would worry me if I was the Lakers are the Cavaliers and Bronny,”
“He wants to play with Bronny and he has said he will go and do that when the chance comes. He never said he would do it in Bronny’s rookie season, but if he decides he wants to do that in 2024, then LeBron’s only signing for one more year and he’ll take a minimum somewhere to play with his son. But there’s variables there too, like is Bronny definitely going to be one-and-done?”
“And there’s the Cleveland thing. The Cavs could get themselves into position to get Bronny, and sign LeBron all at once in 2024. That’s a home-run move for that team. They’re going to keep that in the back of their heads, no matter what they do in the next couple of years. So the Lakers window here, it’s really small.”
The Cavaliers last season showed their depth of young stars as they made it all the way to the play-in tournament, but the team lacked a star veteran. Till now, the Cavs do not have a significant veteran presence apart from Kevin Love. The addition of LeBron James won’t only be a veteran addition; he will make the Cavs potential contenders instantly as well.
If the 2024 move ends up materializing, the Cavs could suddenly become one of the most exciting teams in the league and, in a way, a poetic start for LeBron’s son, Bronny James, who might end up playing with his father as well.
