LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

You can absorb a contract (Dort?) and still pay LeBron close to 30 million.Or you can sign two FA (Timelord and another smaller contract) and still pay LeBron close to 30mil. You would still have picks and players to trade for more upgrades.I don’t see a huge problem here

 

Is LeBron More or Less Likely to Go to Cleveland?

 

Yeah and like it's not only the 1st pick that gives you a superstar. I'd go on a limb without looking at it and say most all-stars weren't the 1st pick. You should still be able to get better with any top 10 lottery pick, especially if you get multiple in straight years

Basically the draft shouldn't save a franchise. You need to improve from all avenues at your disposal, make a combination of good decisions that brings growth to your club. Get good scouts, build good programmes, invest in player development. Not giving up on competitive basketball for multiple years and large chunk of seasons until you luck out on a top pick

You have guys like Maxey or Jalen Johnson for example that developed into leading superstars without being top picks, if not wrong. So if the worst case scenario of this new model is a bad team being unlucky and not getting top 5 picks, it's still not an excuse to not become better

For example, look at the Nets. They currently have no young hot prospects despite being bad for multiple years. With the current model the smartest thing to do is to have the worst possible roster, to be point of playing me or you if needed be for multiple seasons until they get 1 or 2 young guys they can build around. That can't be. We can't have a team that has absolutely no incentive to win a basketball game for multiple seasons. They literally start the season knowing that losing 82 games is literally better than winning 1, 5 or 30. That can't be. This new model addresses that.
So with this new model, although still having a bad team they would be incentivized to maybe overpay someone in FA to get better. Play their best guys all year to try leaving the bottom 3. Develop the guys they have so they get out of this position and become a better team

 

looking forward to seeing how new ownership navigates this situation

Honoring an all time great
Making the numbers work
Assembling a competitor
Not pissing off our other stars and wasting their prime

He doesn't have that many great options, but we also probably have a hard time replacing his production.
But then I balance trying to get over the fact that any day could be the last day. Do you take that chance on the oldest dude with the highest mileage in history with max numbers and actually expect him to continue that type of production. Seems foolish is you're being rational.

fans will do crazy stuff and make amazing proposal, but dealing with bazillion dollar deals, the pros have to make the numbers work.

and is the ticket sales worth it in case this is his final go round? LeBron is bigger business than his production to this team.

I predict a multi-year deal in the 20-30mil range.

 

End of Season Lakers Grades: LeBron James & Austin Reaves

 

Everyone just keep in mind that most of the recent Bron rumors are coming out of Windy's mouth. He no longer has any ins with the Bron camp.

Maybe he's getting stuff from Cleveland's side but outside of that, he's not much more valuable than Amico regarding any Bron stuff right now.

 

Unreal that was almost 20 years ago and he just left his team into the second round. Freight train just keeps chugging along

 

true

 

Grading LeBron James' 2025-26 Lakers Season

 

Jovan has turned himself into the most level headed of the Lakers podcasters. Really solid points about Lebron 3 point shooting was the one issue that prevented him from moving that draybron role or even when he had to take over to it's maximum realistic benefit

The first half of last year wasn't very good due to the injuries ramp up. Finished the season very strong but between aging, lack of the 3 pointer became a guy likes to attack from the post for the most part

 

I do hope (and expect) that LeBron will have a bounce back from 3. Something like 37% in 5+ attempts.

If he can be a successful 3rd option, we’ll be set up really well.

 

Couldn't resist