LeBron James Free Agency 2018: Making the case for the top 4 destinations

LeBron James is a free agent once again. His suitors are Cleveland, Los Angeles, Houston and Philadelphia. Today, we make the case for each city.

Cleveland does not represent the most compelling case for LeBron James’ future in terms of basketball competency. When compared to the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Philadelphia 76ers, they’re quite terrible.

Getting better as a roster will not prove to be easy when their best assets are Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, and future draft picks. They have little to move, and a lot to fix.

However, LeBron may care about more than championships. If he values his legacy in Cleveland greatly, he can come back to play for one or more years and be the loyal superhero of Cleveland sports. He already “came home” in 2014, but continuing to play there would mean even more to the city that has had so little.

LeBron is an extremely competitive athlete and an exceptionally determined worker. LeBron may envy playing as the only hope for a team (though not to the extreme that was the 2017-2018 Cavs).

With an awful (and oft-injured) supporting cast last year in the playoffs, LeBron managed to squeak past the Eastern Conference and arrive once again in the NBA Finals, only to be knocked off by the Golden State Warriors in four games.

The Cavaliers could be able to build a far better roster this summer and before the trade deadline next season. They may not land a star like Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, but a player of Kemba’s prestige could find his way onto the team, accompanied by some role players.

In theory, Cleveland can get to the NBA Finals once again with an upgraded team. Beating new powerhouses like the 76ers and Boston Celtics would be challenging, and taking down the Golden State Warriors isn’t happening.

But maybe LeBron isn’t as focused on solely amassing rings as he used to be. If he wants some stability and a fantastic public image, then maybe staying in Cleveland is as realistic a choice as any.

The Los Angeles Lakers provide the most controversial destination for James. The Lakers have the second-most championship banners in the history of the NBA. Through the different eras, they were led by the likes of Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. LeBron signing with the Lakers to start a new chapter in his 16th season just seems…wrong.

However, we know that rivalries no longer really exist, and this player-centric era of the NBA found that players have the power to write their own futures.

What Los Angeles does have is a strong gravitational pull for business. LeBron is a multi-media mogul. He played a small role in the film Trainwreck. James is always in the news, regardless of what he is talking about. He is rumored to even star in Space Jam 2. He is the most powerful athlete of a large sports agency Klutch Sports that he helped build. LeBron also reportedly has dreams of owning a team in some fashion, maybe even before he retires. With ambitions like these, Hollywood and the city of L.A. have a lot to offer.

Much stock has been put into a potential power-relationship between LeBron and legend Magic Johnson. Just as much stock has been put in LeBron’s family and to what extent they will dictate LeBron’s decision.

LeBron’s son Bronny has already enrolled in a high school in Los Angeles, and there’s almost no chance that the rest of the family prefers Cleveland, Ohio over Los Angeles, California. If the family decides it’s time to settle down for good in order to stay comfortable in a consistent location, then LeBron may worry less about basketball fit and more about family happiness.

This is not to say the Lakers wouldn’t be a good team. The Lakers can add two or three superstars this summer or in 2019. This would catapult them into immediate contention for a championship. However, the supporting cast would not be great. The basketball fit would be good, but the big selling point would be LeBron’s life after basketball.

The most intriguing of LeBron’s suitors is the Houston Rockets. The Rockets just took the Golden State Warriors all the way to the second half of a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals a few weeks ago. If it had not been for the terribly unfortunate hamstring injury to Chris Paul, they may have won the NBA Finals and dethroned the Golden State Warriors.

Now add LeBron to this team…what happens?

They immediately become the most formidable challenger for Golden State since Kevin Durant joined them in 2016. If LeBron is desperate to win a fourth ring and add to his mesmerizing legacy, then Houston is clearly the team he has to join. Chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan becomes even more tantalizing, and realistic.

Perhaps the most impactful boost to LeBron’s career achievements would be actually dismantling the Warriors. Even if it takes joining a superteam to do so, the Warriors are a team with talent that rivals any of the all-time great teams. Managing to beat them and secure a fourth ring would matter greatly in how he is remembered.

James Harden has just officially won the 2017-2018 MVP Award. Chris Paul is one of the greatest players in history to not win an MVP trophy. Clint Capela has established himself as one of the NBA’s best centers due to his ability to finish at the rim, set picks, and most importantly, switch out to the perimeter on defense.

If LeBron joins the squad, the roster may lose some depth, but he more than makes up for that. He also reduces the stress of playmaking for Harden and Paul. Staggering their playing time would allow them all to play at a higher level over fewer minutes.

LeBron should join Houston if he wants to get more rings right now.

LeBron’s less likely fourth choice is heading to Philadelphia.

But maybe he should reconsider. Philly has built a very impressive roster through its years of tanking and rebuilding. They also have many of the necessary tools required to sign or trade for star players. It wouldn’t be impossible for Philly to end the summer with both LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard on the team while keeping Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Just as with Houston, this could come at the price of roster depth, but it would be worth it. The lineup combinations are endless with those four players, and they became a very formidable foe for Golden State even in year one of the experiment.

Ben Simmons is also a member of LeBron James’ sports agency Klutch Sports, and they have a close relationship already. LeBron could enter a new stage of his career as a mentor for a future MVP-level talent. With their similar play style, the on-court issues would need smoothing out, but there is no better player to learn from than James.

At the same time, competing for a title would be just as viable as with Houston, but for even further into the future. With a new superteam of Simmons, Embiid, and a star free-agent-to-be, there wouldn’t be a two-year window for success. The window could be as wide as five or more years.

Philly doesn’t offer the same history as the Lakers, so signing there wouldn’t become a potential asterisk on his legacy. They offer a larger time frame to match up with and outlast the Warriors. They have financial flexibility and asset control that Cleveland couldn’t even dream of.

Maybe Philly should be a bit higher on LeBron’s list of destinations.