Free agency hasn’t even kicked off yet, and the NBA is already going crazy. We’ve already seen Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant get traded, and on Tuesday morning, we officially got word that LeBron James will be playing next season, and it won’t be for the Lakers.
Shortly after noon on the East Coast, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that James “has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere”, which sent immediate shockwaves across the league.
LeBron is obviously well past his prime, but he’s still a very good and incredibly valuable player who will now, unexpectedly, enter unrestricted free agency. Surely, he has his preferences, as we’ve already heard of interest from the Warriors, and we’ll always be hearing about a potential reunion in Cleveland, but we still don’t know exactly what the 41-year-old wants.
Only three teams currently have cap space, and I think it’s safe to say he’s not signing with the Bulls, Nets, or Lakers. If he wants to stay in California or go somewhere familiar, that obviously limits his options. If he’s open to taking the minimum and simply wants the best chance to win, that opens up all kinds of opportunities.
But if he wants to play for a contender, still make as much money as (realistically) possible, and stay in a big city/market where he could enhance his legacy, the Boston Celtics make for an exceptionally intriguing choice.
Certainly, there will be a large portion of Celtics fans who want nothing to do with James, and that’s completely understandable. Frankly, I may be in that camp, myself, as I’ve spent the past 20+ years rooting against the longtime Boston tormentor.
LeBron could be missing piece for Celtics
But if we can put the emotions aside and think solely about basketball, this could be an amazing marriage for both sides that could save what has started as a fairly disastrous offseason in Boston.
The Celtics have the full midlevel exception, roughly $15 million a year to offer James, which is as much as he can get from any contender. He could take a backseat to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (if he's still on the team), playing off of them, but also enhancing them with his playmaking, passing, and rim pressure
He’s obviously not the defender he once was, but in Boston’s system with elite defenders around him, he could easily be a plus. And we know that he can still crank it up for the playoffs and take on an even bigger role. The thought of the Celtics having three jumbo two-way wings who can do a bit of everything is compelling.
And for LeBron, he could go to yet another legacy franchise, and have the opportunity to cement his legacy with a 5th championship ring with four different franchises, and give him a title with both the Celtics and Lakers. It’s a pipe dream and a long shot, and there’s a good chance this never even becomes a discussion. But the fact that this announcement has come out hours before free agency kicks off means everything is currently on the table. And yes, that includes LeBron James signing with the Celtics.
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