LeBron James Rumors: Why The Los Angeles Lakers Are Favored To Sign NBA's Top Free Agent

Different sportsbooks have varying odds regarding where LeBron James will sign this offseason. Some give the Houston Rockets the second-most likely chance to land the NBA’s best player, while others have the Philadelphia 76ers in that spot. The Cleveland Cavaliers either have a strong chance or a not-so-great shot of keeping their star player, depending on where you look.

But just about all of the oddsmakers seem to agree on one thing: the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to be James’ final choice.

Rumors about James heading West began during the 2017 NBA Finals, and the speculation carried all the way through this year’s Finals when the Golden State Warriors swept Cleveland. A third win in four years for the champs over James and the Cavs only strengthened the idea that the most coveted free-agent-to-be would decide to wear purple and gold for the 2018-2019 NBA season.

The Lakers have had less recent success than any team that’s considered to be a real contender to acquire James, and it isn’t even close. L.A. finished 12 games under .500 this past season, missing the playoffs for a fifth straight year. Los Angeles hasn’t won a postseason game since 2012.

Why is a team that’s seemingly miles away from competing with Golden State considered to have the best odds of signing one of the two greatest basketball players ever?

Cap Space

When it comes to joining teams like the Rockets, Boston Celtics or San Antonio Spurs, James doesn’t control his own destiny—at least not unless he’s willing to take a massive pay cut. None of them are expected to have much cap space, if any. They can only acquire James if he opts into the final year of his contract and Cleveland agrees to trade him.

Philadelphia is one of two realistic options that have the money to sign James. The other is Los Angeles, who should have enough salary cap space to give out two max contracts this offseason. That could mean landing both James and Paul George, who is a free agent and has reportedly been eyeing L.A since he was with the Indiana Pacers.

In many ways, George is the ideal teammate for James. Aside from being a perennial All-Star, George is a good three-point shooter and a strong defender. He’s better than Kevin Love, James’ best teammate with Cleveland. His skills complement James’ much better than that of Ben Simmons, a potential teammate of James in Philadelphia.

James and George probably aren’t enough to win a title, but the rest of the Lakers’ roster should be intriguing for James, as well.

Young Core

Signing with the Lakers wouldn’t simply be about winning next season or the season after that. It could give James a chance to be part of one of the league’s best rosters for years to come.

Few teams have as much young talent as the Lakers. Despite having his struggles as a rookie, point guard Lonzo Ball showed plenty of promise as a 20-year-old after being selected second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. There are high hopes for 20-year-old Brandon Ingram, who was the No.2 pick two years ago. Kyle Kuzma was one of the best finds in last year’s draft after scoring 16.1 points per game as a rookie.

One or two of those assets could be turned into a ready-made superstar if the Lakers are willing to make a blockbuster trade. The Cavs made such a deal when James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and they sent No.1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota in exchange for Kevin Love. Pairing James with two other All-Stars would certainly give Los Angeles a shot to dethrone Golden State.

More Than Basketball

There has been a lot of talk about how James’ third trek into free agency is much different than his first two. James was still looking for his first ring in 2010, and he wanted to bring Cleveland their first championship when he left the Miami Heat in 2014. With little left to prove on the court, James’ decision won’t solely be basketball-based in 2018.

James has indicated that his family will play a significant role in choosing his next team. While Ohio is home for the NBA’s best player, he also owns two houses in Los Angeles. Houston and Philadelphia might give James a chance to win, but he has no connection to either city.

Playing in Los Angeles would also help further James’ ventures beyond basketball, of which he has many. James’ Springhill Entertainment is involved in producing TV, film and digital content. He has his eyes on becoming a billionaire and owning an NBA team one day.

Joining forces with the Lakers and team president Magic Johnson, who went from being a legendary basketball player to the part-owner of a sports franchise, might be the most logical option.