Los Angeles Lakers: Could signing DeAndre Jordan lure LeBron James?

If Paul George doesn’t end up signing with the Los Angeles Lakers come July, maybe DeAndre Jordan would be enough to woo LeBron James during 2018 NBA free agency.

There are literally dozens of scenarios that could play out for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. Between 2018 NBA free agency and the 2018 NBA Draft, the possibilities are nearly endless — both good and bad.

At this moment, the “ideal” would be for the Lakers to sign both LeBron James and Paul George. That would essentially complete the rebuild, giving them the star power needed to boost this group of rising stars toward the top of the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, “ideal” situations don’t often pan out.

It won’t be easy luring LeBron away from the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason. There’s also no guarantee that Paul George takes his talents to Los Angeles, esspecially after he made this cryptic/confusing statement following the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s departure from the playoffs (begins at 12:35 mark).

So let’s imagine a situation in which PG-13 doesn’t come home. Maybe he stays put or decides to see what playing for the Philadelphia 76ers is like. That would be a big blow to Magic Johnson‘s master plan, and would certainly make signing LeBron more difficult. However, there is an alternative that could be just as effective in enticing James to ink a deal.

What about signing DeAndre Jordan with that plethora of cap space the Lakers currently have? Going for DeMarcus Cousins is almost guaranteed to be off the table after his Achilles tear. We know center will be a need with Brook Lopez likely to move on, so why not go out and grab the second-best big man expected to hit free agency in 2018?

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It’s a great idea, but how does this affect James? Well, for starters, it gives the Lakers a complete starting lineup. With Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma in the mix, all they’d need besides LeBron is a starting-caliber center. Well guess who fits that description? Jordan!

As it so happens, the Lakers are one of only a few teams with the cap space to offer him big bucks, should he decide to opt out of his $24.1 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers and hit unrestricted free agency this summer.

Magic Johnson could offer slightly more while pitching him on playing for a legitimate contender (once LeBron signs). It’ll depend on who gets involved in the bidding and if someone offers a max deal (likely), but it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Jordan to join the Lakers for less than the max.

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That could even leave enough room under the cap to retain Randle. So with the Lakers’ young core intact and Jordan in the mix, James would theoretically be intrigued.

I mean, it’s safe to assume the King played a part in the Cavaliers’ interest in acquiring Jordan ahead of the 2018 trade deadline (via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne). This is obviously speculation, but we all know James is capable of pulling strings within the Cleveland front office. If he was interested in playing alongside Jordan, conversations would have to be had.

I’m sure LeBron’s banana-boat buddy Chris Paul could also vouch for Jordan, seeing as the two spent a number of years together with the Clippers.

Either way, Jordan joining the Lakers seems like it might be enough to convince James something special was being built. In some ways, it may even be more tempting for the King than if George signed. Having Jordan instead would create a more balanced starting five.

For now, it’s the same old waiting game. No one knows what’s going to happen during free agency. The Lakers may manage to strike a deal with both James and George, or they may whiff on everyone. In that case, they may be forced to save their cap space until 2019 free agency.

Next: Pondering Lakers' potential trade packages for Kawhi

As I mentioned at the beginning, the possibilities are endless. This means Jordan AND James to the Lakers isn’t an impossibility at this point. Imagine the two connecting on alley-oops all season long. It would be a thing of beauty.