The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a big offseason following a tough postseason exit. Despite entering the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Los Angeles was bounced in the first round in five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Lakers this offseason comes from star forward LeBron James. James is eligible to become a free agent this summer, and his plans remain unknown for next year.
The star could either return to the Lakers, enter free agency, or retire. Retirement seems to be an option for James, but many around league circles do believe that he will play at least one more year.
But James could leave his options open after another disappointing year with the Lakers. If James were to test the free agent market, there would be no shortage of teams interested in his services.
One former NBA guard believes that James could leave the Lakers and team with an old friend. Rashad McCants did an exclusive interview with Basketball Insiders and believes that James could be looking at the Dallas Mavericks to team up with Anthony Davis again
If you think about this, the last time LeBron made an insinuation that he would move on from a team after the playoffs were over, he actually made that move every time,” says McCants. “When he says he’s considering maybe moving, he did that in Cleveland, and then he ended up on the Lakers. He did that in Miami and ended up back in Cleveland. He might end up in Dallas.”
If James were to go to the Mavericks, he would also be teaming back up with star guard Kyrie Irving. It could be a smart basketball move for James to head to Dallas, but many people believe that he will finish his legendary career with the Lakers.
It remains to be seen what James will do, but his decision could drastically impact the Lakers’ chances going forward. Los Angeles believes he will return, but his bolting to another team isn’t completely off the table.
