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LeBron James will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, according to LaVar Ball of Big Baller Brand.
Now before ESPN and the Vertical start quaking in their proverbial boots that they got scooped, Ball is not necessarily the most plugged in source in James’ camp so this may not turn out to be true, but it sounds like the loudest and proudest family patriarch in basketball is confident.
“Let me tell you this, it would be a great fit, and LeBron is coming to L.A,” Ball told Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints before taking a shot at Cleveland that’s sure to endear him to James. “What’s in Cleveland? You want to be a superstar, man. Superstar franchise.”
The Lakers’ plan has fairly transparently been to horde enough cap space to sign James and another max free agent next summer, and it sounds like Ball already knows what his pitch would be to the King (again, via Ward):
“It’s going to be like this, and I’m talking about reality. He’s going to say, ‘You know what? I went to Miami. Won a championship. Brought one back to my home town. I’m the only one to go to three different places and bring a championship.’
“You do not give Lonzo Ball the best player in the game and don’t think they going to win! He is going to fall in love with Lonzo so much on the way that he play. They both understand the game. Best player in the game and you don’t think he coming? Stop it!”
Ball’s, err, balls aside, there is certainly no guarantee that James wants to spend his twilight years with the young Lakers’ core, even if he’d get to bring along a fellow superstar of his choice. He might, but he also may ultimately be swayed by the chance to finish his career with the Cavaliers and leave that legacy in Cleveland.
That desire may have been halted by how much of a tire fire the Cavaliers have been all offseason, which the Lakers are surely grateful for, but there is also a chance James could be swayed to head to another destination.
Despite what Ball says, nothing is guaranteed, but after his success getting his firstborn son for the Lakers, he can’t be blamed for trying to speak this into existence.
Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here, or listen to our latest episode on how the Lakers could clear enough cap for two superstars below), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.