A tentative case for LeBron to stay in Cleveland

Let’s look at James’ likeliest landing spots.

No one has ever worked free agency better than LeBron James.

Eight years ago, he pioneered the mini-max concept along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, that led all three to join forces in Miami. With the Heat run coming to an end four years later, James orchestrated his own homecoming; a power move no one has ever come close to matching or even attempting. (Could you imagine Kevin Durant coming back to Oklahoma City and dictating terms?)

Yet, the league landscape is considerably more cloudy than it was in his previous two free-agent summers. There are fewer teams with cap space, and none of them currently possess the requisite veteran experience and wisdom that LeBron referenced during the NBA Finals.

“So now everyone is trying to figure that out,” he said at the time. “How do you put together a group of talent, but also a group of minds to be able to compete with Golden State, to be able to compete for a championship?”

That’s the issue facing LeBron this summer. The only way to maneuver into that kind of a situation is through opting into the final year of his contract and orchestrating a trade like his friend Chris Paul did last summer with Houston.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

It just so happens the Rockets would be an ideal landing spot for James provided general manager Daryl Morey is able to perform his annual salary cap calisthenics. (It’s complicated. It’s Morey. Get your popcorn.) Alas, James is expected to opt out by Friday’s deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent for the third time in his career.

As a free agent, LeBron’s options are more limited. Consider the two realistic landing spots: Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Both have their alluring features, but neither is an obvious choice.

The Sixers offer talent — albeit young talent — but is nowhere close to home. James has also said that family considerations will play an important role in his decision. Los Angeles is a second home for his family, but the Lakers’ talent is even younger and further away than Philly’s Process.

So, what now?

Well, there’s always ... Cleveland!

Like LeBron’s Miami teams, the Cavaliers ended their four-year run on fumes. They were threatened as never before in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and swept out of the Finals on their home floor. The gap between them and the Warriors is widening.

The status quo may be untenable, but that doesn’t mean James is necessarily bailing on Southeast Ohio a second time. The Cavs may even represent his best option to remain in contention for the present while maintaining future flexibility.

Let’s take a closer look at the other choices.

PHILADELPHIA

It sounds great in theory: Pair LeBron with the two emerging superstars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Throw in a more intriguing young players from Dario Saric to Markelle Fultz, and the Process warps into overdrive. LeBron would get to stay in the East where he could alternately avoid the Warriors until the Finals and further torment the Celtics.

There are some issues, however.

The Sixers have work to do to clear the space to offer a max contract. Finding a taker for Jerryd Bayless is the first domino. Bayless, you may remember, was the first free agent signed by Bryan Colangelo when he took over the team from Sam Hinkie. Neither man is currently the general manager, and the Sixers are operating this summer by committee with coach Brett Brown serving as the final arbiter.

Brown has been outspoken about his desire to add star-level talent to his existing core. The Sixers have been linked to both LeBron and Paul George, along with Kawhi Leonard, should Leonard really become available. Those are ambitious pursuits, especially for a team lacking an experienced front office decision maker.

Ditching Bayless would help, but they would also have to renounce their slate of free agents to afford a max deal for LeBron. That group includes J.J. Redick, who is one of the best shooters in the league.

If there’s one thing we know about playing with LeBron at this stage of his career, it’s that perimeter shooting is a must. Redick could agree to come back at a reduced rate, but you can see where all of this becomes complicated.

That’s before we get to what this would look like on the court. Like LeBron, Simmons is an oversized ball handler and brilliant passer who functions best as the focal point of the offense. Simmons is also an excellent cutter who can score effectively inside, but playing with James would necessitate a drastic adjustment for a player coming into his own.

James has never played with anyone like Embiid, who is a once-in-a-generation big man. The Heat turned Chris Bosh into a floor spacing center, an evolutionary tactic that allowed Miami to play the five-out style that’s en vogue throughout the league. Bosh was brilliant in that role, but the adjustment was not without its trials and tribulations.

At this stage of his career, would James even want to play the grownup role for a team whose best players are more than a decade younger?

Still, no one offers more talent on hand than the 76ers. This would be a fascinating path for James to take and would signal an entirely new direction in his career. No doubt a cadre of ring-chasing vets would sign on to aid him in his quest, but the generational dynamic would still loom large.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

It also sounds good in theory. The James family has a home in Southern California, and LeBron could replicate his Miami experience by bringing a fellow superstar with him. These are the Lakers we’re talking about and with Jeanie Buss calling the shots they should never be taken lightly in free agency.

Unlike the Sixers, the Lakers even have a max contract slot waiting for LeBron to sign. That’s the easy part.

Like the Sixers, the Lakers’ roster is full of young talent, but that’s where the similarities end. That’s an exceptionally young core for James to buy into, and it would require a leap of faith to see Lonzo Ball and/or Brandon Ingram developing into stars like Simmons and Embiid.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

There is world in which the Lakers can open up a second max contract slot. It would involve renouncing all their free agents, stretching or trading Luol Deng, and possibly losing Julius Randle. In that scenario, which always sounds easier on paper than it is in practice, LeBron could bring a friend to expedite the young pups’ learning curve.

Problem: The pool of free agent friends is small and getting smaller. If Paul George re-signs with Oklahoma City, and the Spurs either elect to hold onto Kawhi Leonard or ship him East, then that pool dries up fast.

A further issue: Would two stars in their prime even be enough to challenge the Warriors or the Rockets? Beating teams of their caliber requires not only starpower but depth and there would remain half a roster to fill. Additionally, staying East affords LeBron the best path toward returning to the Finals in the immediate future.

Signing with the Lakers would indicate a broader plan to return to contention, and it’s difficult to see the outline from here without George or Leonard. That broader vision may take another year to materialize as Magic Johnson told reporters this week.

“It’s going to be a two summer thing for the Lakers,” Johnson said. “This summer and next summer. That’s it. If I can’t deliver I’m going to step down myself. She won’t have to fire me, I’ll step away from it, because I can’t do this job.”

(That was truly a bravura press conference performance by Magic, who reminded reporters that he’s Magic freaking Johnson and pressure is somebody else’s problem. What a moment. Again, it’s the Lakers we’re talking about. They are to free-agent team building what LeBron is to player empowerment.)

CLEVELAND

That brings us back to Ohio, which seemed unthinkable at various points during the season. James has been on record numerous times describing last season as the toughest of his career.

Whether it was trading Kyrie Irving or cutting ties with general manager David Griffin, the Cavs went against LeBron’s wishes at crucial moments. The Cavs, in turn, argued that LeBron’s refusal to commit to staying for the long term forced them to consider a future without their King.

What’s left is a hodgepodge of LeBron approved vets and young kids trying to figure out their roles in his court. The Finals had an air of, well, finality about them. As constituted, the Cavs don’t pose a serious threat to Golden State. They are over the cap and locked into deals with a half dozen well-paid vets that extend into the following season.

And yet, there’s some potential to revamp the roster and maintain LeBron’s future flexibility. Would a rumored trade for Charlotte’s Kemba Walker be enough to entice LeBron to stick around for another season with yet another player option attached? That would put him back in play next season when his options may be considerably enhanced if Leonard plays out this season without a new contract.

It’s not perfect, but then neither is anything else. Remember that LeBron has never faltered in free agency. This summer will test his ability to bend the league to his will.