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NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Could Have Edge In Recruiting LeBron James, Who Is Set On Leaving Cleveland?

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 07:16 PST, Aug 17, 2017

LeBron James has made up his mind about leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers after this season, and new NBA rumors point to the Los Angeles Lakers as a likely landing point for the NBA MVP.

There have been rumblings for months that James is planning to bolt Cleveland after the 2017-18 season, with the Cavaliers going all-in one last time for a final run at the title. Those rumors came back to life this week with a report from ESPN writer Chris Sheridan claiming that James is “100 percent leaving” as his relationship with the Cavaliers owners has fallen apart.

LeBron was reportedly very unhappy when the team decided to part ways with general manager David Griffin, leaving a void at a critical time when Jimmy Butler and Paul George was available but snatched away by other teams.

As Bleacher Report noted, the idea of LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers was once almost unfathomable, but the slowly fracturing relationship with team management has made it a more distinct possibility. For one, James has cemented his legacy in northeast Ohio by winning a title, the first for the city of Cleveland in two generations. Leaving at this juncture would not be as disastrous to the team or its fans as the first time James left in 2010.

There are plenty of signs that he could be departing. Team turmoil boiled over in July when word leaked that guard Kyrie Irving was seeking a trade, in part because of LeBron’s plans to leave after the season is over.

There is still some question about whether the NBA rumors are true. After Sheridan’s report, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reported that there is no truth to the rumor of James leaving, and Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 said James doesn’t plan to make a decision until after the season is over.

As Newsweek noted, the Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be a likely destination for the NBA MVP and could have a significant edge in recruiting LeBron James when he is ready to leave the Cavs.

“James has a get-out clause, though. Next summer, he is able to exercise the right to opt out of his contract with the Cavs, to move away once again. Miami Heat has been mentioned as a possible destination; Houston Rockets, too. But the potential of a move to the Lakers grows ever more plausible,” the report noted.

“James has a home in Los Angeles, he is wanted there by its newest asset and future star [Lonzo] Ball—in an interview with ESPN earlier this summer, Ball said to James, ‘I think our games could help each other out a lot. Anytime you want the ball, just let me know, and it’s going to be there’—and he is close with Magic Johnson. On Monday, he wished the Lakers president a happy birthday and praised him for always being there for him throughout his career.”

If the rumors about LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers are true, there would likely be a number of teams ready to make a run at him. There is also the possibility that the Cavaliers could attempt to swing a trade for James, trying to get some kind of return before he leaves on his own accord.

[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]

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