LeBron James’ future was thrown into doubt after his warm commitment to La Lakers.
LeBron James decided to opt-in to his LA Lakers contract, cautiously. Rather than plotting for his future with Luka Donsic, the superstar wants the Lakers to be competitive and build around him this season.
The power play has been under pressure on the Lakers, and ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne believes it backfired for free agency teams amidst the uncertainty it created.
The Lakers are currently signing Deandre Ayton, but we still see if it’s enough to appease Lebron James this summer or convince them to extend it beyond this season.
The situation for LeBron James led to a wave of speculation. Could he be traded to a former Cleveland Cavaliers team?
What about the deal where you reunite with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving at the Dallas Mavericks?
Or can he work with Stephen Curry, the long-term rival and teammate of the Golden State Warriors?
NBA expert Bill Simmons has made a very different proposal, suggesting a rare intercity trade between La Lakers and La Clippers, involving Kawi Leonard.
Speaking about his podcast, Simmons said: “How about LeBron’s Kawi?
“They can both stay in LA. There’s little change in their respective scenery. If you’re the Lakers, you’ll get out of this weird LeBron situation.
“I don’t know if that’s changing your destiny that much, but at least it resets who it is.”
The proposal is unlikely as the two LA rivals often don’t trade together.
The last time they were involved in the same deal was in 2023, as part of a four-team deal, including the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets.
Simmons admitted it’s unclear whether the Lakers will ultimately make the move he proposed, saying, “I think the Lakers will say no, but I thought it was interesting.”
With the Clippers, Kawi Leonard was a comeback late in the 2024-25 season, but has already trained hard to prepare for a reload from 2025-26.