The Decision – Part Two? In a recent poll published by Bleacher Report on whether Lebron was going to leave Cleveland in 2018, the results were quite diverse:
Every NBA season welcomes many unexpected moves that change the dynamic of the league so this blog about where Lebron goes in 2018 is very preemptive…but I am still going write this article using a lot of assumptions just to speculate.
The Los Angeles Lakers
This is not the first time a rumor about Lebron James heading south to the Lakers has come up. When Lebron decided to leave Cleveland back in 2010, one of the potential destinations was Los Angeles. Here are the reasons why Lebron may go to the Lakers in 2018:
• After winning 2017-18 Rookie of the Year, Lonzo Ball will be stronger, have a higher basketball IQ and most of all, will be better
• After another early playoff exit in OKC, Paul George will seek to join Lebron in Los Angeles after his one year contract with the Thunder
• Lebron James wants to grow his brand in Los Angeles, one of the most profitable markets in sports
Personally, I don’t see this happening. Lakers fans won’t love Lebron like how they loved Kobe. Throughout Lebron’s career, he has always been compared to Kobe so for him to wear a Lakers jersey will be odd. It may also be best for Lebron to stay in the Eastern Conference to maximize his championship odds.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Lebron James realizes that his playing days are limited to a few more season but decides to recommit to the Cavaliers. He took a significant PR hit the last time he left Cleveland and doesn’t want to damage his reputation again. He has already delivered his championship promise to Cleveland and is content with his career and the 3 championships he has won. Besides, if he can’t chase championships anymore, he might as well make the most amount of money he can by resigning a max contract with his current team.
Philadelphia 76ers
When Lebron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, the Cavaliers had three 1st overall picks on their roster (Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett, and Andrew Wiggins). They traded away two of them to land Kevin Love in what formed the current Cavaliers Big 3.
Currently, the Sixers already have a junior Big 3 with two first overall picks in Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz and a young Joel Embiid who was a runner-up for Rookie of the Year this past season. If healthy, this young Philadelphia team has potential to make some noise in the league and would give Lebron James a platform to lead and challenge the Warriors in the 2018-2019 season. Not to mention, Ben Simmons and Lebron James have spent their last two summers together working out so Lebron may just have gotten a firsthand look at the talents of his soon-to-be teammate. Oh yeah, and Ben also decided to post this on Twitter earlier this week:
Feel free to share your thoughts on where you think Lebron goes during the 2018 free agency and follow along for more NBA blogs!
