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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers
Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have been wiped out of the NBA playoffs, with Luka Doncic never getting a full chance to return to the court after his devastating hamstring injury back in early April, there will be no shortage of hot takes on what the team should do next. That’s with good reason–we know Doncic will be back, but we know virtually nothing else about how the roster will shape up from here. From LeBron James to Dalton Knecht, the Lakers are looking at contending with as many as nine important free-agent decisions in the next month-and-half.
James is the most fascinating. We can’t be sure yet whether the 41-year-old still wants to play or whether he simply wants to retire. He certainly showed he could still play (he scored 24 points with 12 rebounds in the Game 7 loss on Sunday) but the grind is dauting, especially in a league that figures to be dominated by the Spurs and Thunder for the foreseeable future.
If James want to play, the next question is whether he and the Lakers mutually want their relationship to continue–or if he should be traded, and if so, to where?
Well, Cleveland, of course. While the Knicks and Warriors have been mentioned, and both are possible, the most likely place for LeBron James to wrap up his Hall of Fame career would be back home with the Cavaliers, where he started his run. The Cavs, though, are in the second apron and have severe financial limitations. Unless James wants to sign a minimum contract (spolier: he doesn’t), the only way to get him to Cleveland is a sign-and-trade.
It’s not impossible. The Cavs have a big man on the books, Jarrett Allen, who would fit very well with Doncic and that team. Allen will be entering a three-year, $90 million extension that stars at $28 million. As long as James accepts less than that, there is hope for a sign-and-trade with the Cavaliers.
For former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, who now is an ESPN analyst and was appearing on the morning show, “Get Up,” working that kind of deal is a no-brainer.
Said Perkins: “I’ve you’re talking about winning championships, I would consider going home. When you think about it, the pieces that they have, being in the Eastern Conference, getting out of a tough Western Conference, I will go back to the crib. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have already been advocating this with the front office, once James Harden got there, they wanted LeBron James back in Cleveland.”
Again, it won’t be that simple because of financial restrictions, and the Cavaliers will have a challenge in figuring out how to handle James Harden’s contract (he has a player option for $42 million), but if the Cavs can dip below the luxury tax apron, they could clear the way for a sign-and-trade.
Perkins wants to see it–Allen for James.
“I guarantee you, (LeBron James) will take Jarrett Allen’s money,” he said. “I’m pretty sure that Luka would love a lob threat like Jarett Allen, you know, if the Lakers don’t want LeBron James, and you’re looking for a big because Deandre Ayton shouldn’t be back, right, with what he displayed.
“… But if you can sign and trade, and you can do LeBron for Jarett Allen, Cleveland is doing it in and the Lakers are doing it.”
Much would have to be decided before it could be done. But it’s a reasonable possibility on both sides.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including "Fun City," "Before Wrigley became Wrigley," and "Facing Michael Jordan." More about Sean Deveney
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