Lakers fans may be dreaming about signing LeBron James this summer, but the franchise isn’t in position to give him a chance to win championships, writes Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register. That will be James’ main criteria when he enters free agency, Heisler adds, as he hopes to match Michael Jordan‘s total of six titles before he retires.
James’ recent purchase of a house in the Los Angeles area won’t affect his decision, Heisler claims, and neither will the chance to play with a young core made up of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle and Lonzo Ball. Unless the Lakers can convince James that his presence would make them an instant contender, they’ll be a long shot to bring him to L.A.
There’s more NBA news out of Los Angeles:
- With the playoffs slipping out of reach, the Lakers will spend the rest of this season deciding which free agents they want to keep, states Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. With only five players under contract for 2018/19, Brook Lopez, Isaiah Thomas and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be among those auditioning for jobs, as will Channing Frye if he returns after an appendectomy.
- Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari will have his right hand examined next week to determine if he needs surgery, tweets Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points. Gallinari added that swelling and discoloration in the hand have subsided since he suffered a non-displaced fracture late last month. Gallinari is averaging 15.9 points per night, but has been limited to 19 games by a variety of injuries.
- Rookie Clippers guard Sindarius Thornwell made his first start in nearly three months Friday and responded with a career-high 14 points in a win over the Cavaliers, notes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Thornwell’s playing time had slipped as the team tried out two-way guards C.J. Williams and Tyrone Wallace, but he was ready when coach Doc Rivers called on him to match up with James. “I guess it’s just Doc’s way of seeing if I’m ready to play,” Thornwell said. “He just wants to see if I’m focused and locked in. But my starts are always on somebody tough.”
Why wouldn’t the Lakers be a championship contender with LeBron? That’s insane to say they wouldn’t considering they’re one of the youngest teams in the NBA and they’re more than holding their own lately. Lopez, KCP, and Deng, who make up the majority of their payroll are not very impactful players. Add LBJ and spend the rest of the cap on good role players and you’re definitely looking at a contender.
Two words….Rockets and Warriors. No way the Lakers with LBJ are getting by either of those teams with the playoff unproven players on the roster now.
Yeah but to get james they would have to renounce chris paul and clint capela. To make it work they would all have to take pay cut. Media trying there hardest to make it seem like lakers are the favorite when they are. Have two max slots and a roster much deeper and younger than what cleveland has. Put this lakers roster in the east and it would be a playoffs team.
Lakers don’t have Chris Paul.
They read the first sentence of your comment and assumed you meant that LeBron would go to the Rockets or Warriors, hence saying they’d need to renounce CP and Capella.
Laker fans forget LeBron won’t go without George.
Those 2 would eat up all their cap space. Who will be the Lakers center and shooting guard? George and LeBron play the same position as Kuzma and Ingram.
I really don’t think LeBron wants to play in the same division as GSW. He’d be old enough to retire before the Lakers would be competitive with them. Lonzo hasn’t exactly been what they’d hoped he’d be when he was drafted. Ingram either.
Is this LeBron stuff going to go on every week until he signs in August?
The Cavs lineup will be LeBron, Michael Porter jr. Love, Robin Hood and Little Jordan.
George can play shooting guard. Ingram can guard the 2/3/4 with his length. Also have hart who is quality starter with 3 and d skills.
George hasn’t played shooting guard since his first year in the league. The Pacers tried to get him to play power forward and he did for a while, and finally told them no.
Don’t get your hopes up. It’ll be 5 more months and like Ramona Shelbourne says the Lakers are a real longshot!
Lakers will resign randle because he certainly wont comand the max. Then the lakers can make a splash with either a paul george and or lebron. This lakers team is on pace for a 36-46 record as it currently stands and one of the better defensive teams out there. Now throwing in lebron worth easily 12 wins and paul george another 7 lakers would be 55-27. Also the kids will also get better so wins could go up depending on there continued improvement. Its a no brainer to consider lebron to los angeles based on lakers deep pockets to help lebron get more rings and to help him prepare a career after basketball.
Hate to say it but lonzo, ingram, randle, hart, kuzma look a lot better than clarkson, osman, hood, nance, plus top 5 pick. Only really competition is sixers and they can only offer one max slot and the questions about the durability of there young players.
Let’s be honest here. Embiid is a superstar and Simmons is a near lock to become one as well. The Lakers have a couple good young players, but who knows if they will reach that level, Lebron is getting too old to wait around.
The Sixers would also have ammo to trade for another star, or keep those picks and players to provide cheap depth and role players. And it would be a much easier path to the finals compared to how it would be in LA. Also factor in the Philly market and being a 45 min plane ride to NYC, I think he’s heading to the Sixers.
While that could be true i dont see simmons as the star that lonzo and ingram already are. Embiid is also under a long term deal. Both have injury concerns and are 1 to 2 years older than lonzo and ingram. To fit another max player they would have to move most of what makes them good where as the lakers dont need to do so and can add 2 max players. Only real positive playing in the weak east. Sixers with lebron arent better than celtics or raptors.
lonzo is a star. lol. ingram never will be one, especially if he had to sit behind LeBron.
Philly can’t offer LeBron the max, and he said he’ll only sign for the max. The Cavs are the only ones that can do that.
Good keep him! I would prefer pg13 Kawhi Or Klay then a soon to be 35 year old drama king!
Klay isn’t leaving the warriors and PG13 isn’t leaving Russell Westbrook! Kawhi just said he wants to retire with San Antonio a couple days ago.
Dunno what your smoking man, ingram is a star. Numbers dont lie a big long angile big to guard mulitple postions and can shoot, he already looks like a young greek freak statiscally. Take the hate elsewhere! Lakers just rolled cavs tonight lmao. Lavar will be right once again!
Is this Dionis and you changed your account name? Ingram a young Greek Freek! Let’s take a poll on that one. Ingram isn’t even in the top 20 small forwards.
Ingram has the potential to be among top 20 forwards, his def is better then his off, and if he has eight complimentary pieces around him, he could quietly become an all-star. Lakers are better to stay with young core then bring in over-priced older free agents. LA isn’t the destination it used to be
If he has the right^ complimentary pieces
Also if you look at giannis second and 3rd season same efficiency. You hate is clouding your judgement. He has to the potential and is barely 20 a whole year young than simmons.
Won’t Lakers have to renounce Randle’s rights to sign PG and LeBron? Idk what their cap situation is exactly after the Clarkson/Nance trade so I might be wrong, but they might have to make Randle an unrestricted FA which would probably mean they lose him.
“The Lakers now project to have $46.9M in room this summer. The cap space will increase to $69M if they do not bring back Julius Randle and stretch the $37M owed to Luol Deng over 5 years.”
Boston. Irving reunion. Make it happen LBJ
Kyrie would ask to be traded!
Don’t smoke dude. How many All-Star games has Ingram played in. With Butler, George, Kawhi, and Durant in the West, how many will he play in. You talk to anyone that doesn’t live in L.A. and they will tell you he’s a disappointment. LeBron isn’t going to L.A., but if he was, Ingram would be 2nd unit. Keep your grass in California.
Yes the Lakers won. Cavs without Tristan, Love, and Rodney Hood. You are out of your ever loving mind if you call Ingram a young Greek Freek. We are seriously in a different time zone.
Love Thompson hood? Difference!! HaHa
LeBron plays point guard. Kevin Love is the Cavs interior offense . He is a difference.