Getty LeBron James posting up.
The Los Angeles Lakers will have a decision to make this offseason with LeBron James. Los Angeles is expected to figure out a deal with arguably the greatest player ever, but his son Bronny James entering the NBA could change his plans. If Bronny does enter the draft, a team could draft him in hopes that his dad will follow him. Of those teams, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report views the Philadelphia 76ers as a team that could do that.
Pincus released his early predictions for the NBA offseason, predicting the 76ers to draft Bronny and land James in free agency.
“What if the Sixers used their first- or second-round pick in June to draft Bronny James? Should his father, LeBron James (No. 1 on our free-agent big board), opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia could have just enough to max him out at around $50 million.
“That would give the Sixers another $7 million in space, plus the room mid-level exception of about $8 million to flesh out a roster with Paul Reed, Embiid, Maxey and the James father-and-son pairing.”
Pairing James with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey instantly makes the 76ers a better team, making them an even bigger contender than they already are when healthy.
What Do the Lakers Do if They Lose Lebron James?
The Los Angeles Lakers losing LeBron James could set the franchise back a few years. While they are far from the Lakers the NBA world is used to seeing, currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, they’re still a team that can make noise due to James and Anthony Davis.
Losing him, even being as old as he is, would be devastating.
However, given this is the Lakers, it’s tough to imagine that the struggles would last for too long. The Lakers have had down seasons in the past, but they historically haven’t struggled in ways other franchises have.
In fact, if James left, the Lakers would likely be in play to land the next big star.
If he does plan on leaving, the Lakers should look to facilitate a trade. At the very least, they can get something back for the NBA’s leading scorer.
How James Would Help the 76ers
James continues to prove that he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t taken advantage of his play this season, but what he did on March 16 against the Golden State Warriors is the exact reason why the Philadelphia 76rs would want to land him.
He dropped 40 points while shooting 15-23 from the field with nine assists, eight rebounds, and three made threes.
On the season, the 39-year-old is averaging 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. James is shooting over 40% from three-point range, too, tied for the highest mark of his career.
He would help the 76ers compete in a loaded Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. James wouldn’t have to be the No. 1 option for the 76ers to win, a huge difference in his current role with the Lakers.