Stephen A. Smith made a big claim that LeBron James could leave the La Lakers and win the title with another team.
The 40-year-old took the player option on his LA Lakers contract.
He linked to teams like the Dallas Mavericks and other Eastern Conference Sides, but the four-time champions are likely to finish the 2025-26 season as a Laker.
But ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith says it only makes sense for LeBron James to move to another team, as there’s a good chance that LeBron James will win the championship there.
James won his only championship with the Lakers in 2020, but things have not gone well for him and the playoff team since.
His agent Rich Paul issued a statement to announce his opt-in, saying he wanted to continue competing for the championship while the 21 All-Stars are still playing.
While the Lakers were making a good move, Smith made it clear that joining the Cleveland Cavaliers would give James a better opportunity to win it all.
He states:
“This cannot be contested, and he’s likely to win the championship in Cleveland.
“The road through the Western Conference is difficult, to say the least. At the Eastern Conference, New York has a new coach question about their depth. Damian Lillard is no longer in Milwaukee, he’s back in Portland.
“Jason Tatum has been out all year round with Achilles tears…Haliburton is back this year.”
With four championships, James is already one of the best players the league has ever seen, but once he wins another title, he becomes a tier alongside players like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.
“You bring the chips back to Cleveland, say goodbye, and tie five-time champions Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and the crew.
“If you stayed in LA, that wasn’t happening.
Because James is probably one of the best players in the Cavaliers franchise history and led them to their only championship in 2016.
The finish in Cleveland is a perfect farewell for King James, but to do so many things must be properly categorized.
Cavs must give up many assets to get what could be the final year of his career.
This will block development for several years, and it doesn’t look like the move their front office will make.
They will be happy to welcome him to the team as a free agent. It can only happen next year, unless he agrees to acquire the deal with the Lakers, but that’s unlikely to happen.