1. Lakers make their on-court case to LeBron
I’ll admit right away, I’m not the biggest fan of the LeBron James joining the Los Angeles Lakers movement that has seemingly picked up steam since last summer. This has nothing to do with LeBron, and I would obviously be excited as anybody if he joined the Lakers, especially if others joined up with him.
All of that sounds great, but there’s something about watching this current Lakers core that intrigues me to see how far they can go on their own. There’s a culture being built and Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are the pillars that plan to lead the Lakers for the next decade-plus. I mean, how many NBA teams have two 20-year-old players with this much current production and room to grow? Not to mention Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart?
Even without Ingram in the lineup for this game, the Lakers presented an attractive case for LeBron to strongly consider taking his talents to L.A., something demonstrated throughout this contest. LeBron said he understands the hype around him to L.A. rumors, citing their cap space among other things in an interview last weekend.
Toss in the Lakers’ healthy cap situation compared to the severe cap limitations of the Cavs and it’s clear which team presents a more attractive case. Yes, the Lakers’ best players from the game aren’t on the books for next season, but they have enough money to bring back most of the players along with LeBron, and maybe more.
Next: 2017-18 Week 21 NBA Power Rankings
Who knows what will happen this summer, but the Los Angeles Lakers gave LeBron a front row seat to what they’re building, with or without him joining the mix.