LeBron James To Sign With The Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James has agreed to a four-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Lakers worth $153.3 million. The 33-year-old veteran did not waste time with this decision; no more drawn out and protracted drama shows. The announcement was made via his sports agency, Klutch Sports Group.
— Klutch Sports Group (@KlutchSports) July 2, 2018
The league’s top free agent is now off the board. Paul George spurned the Lakers and a chance to team up with the best basketball player in the world, signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Magic Johnson is now setting his sights on San Antonio Spurs star, Kawhi Leonard, with the hopes of providing James with some veteran support to help the team bring another NBA title to the City of Angels. The Spurs have rebuffed the Lakers’ initial trade offers for Leonard, but with Kawhi set to walk in 2019, the team does not have much leverage in the trade market.
The Lakers have another option in DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles injury that he sustained in 2017-18. They can sign him to a short-term, likely a one-year deal, and both parties can then revisit long-term scenarios afterward.
This has been a whirlwind of an NBA off-season so far. LeBron James’ decision may have been the biggest shoe to drop so far, but there should be more action to expect in the coming days as teams react to this dramatic shift in the league.