Los Angeles Lakers: Imagining the rumored dream lineup with Kawhi Leonard

Power Forward: LeBron James

For so long, this seemed like a pipe dream. Why would LeBron James really want to take his talents to Los Angeles? Sure, he’s got a home there and knows that plenty of extra money-making opportunities exist in one of the country’s biggest markets.

From a basketball standpoint, though, it made little sense. By all appearances, James was ready to finish his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, things have changed. No longer are the Lakers viewed as a subpar NBA team still trying to claw its way back to relevance. After a promising 2017-18 campaign, the Purple and Gold are a team on the rise with plenty of appeal. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers looked like a downtrodden team that was quickly draining James of his passion and patience.

Throughout the 2018 NBA Finals, LeBron was forced to depend on teammates like George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Jeff Green to capitalize on the open looks he set them up with. As we all saw during that four-game disaster of a series, none of them were up to the task. This Lakers lineup, though, would be a completely different story.

With Ball, Leonard, George and the soon-to-be-named center at his side, James could pass the rock off with ease, knowing that the man on the receiving end isn’t going to squander most open looks. It would instill in LeBron a confidence in his teammates he hasn’t displayed since his days in South Beach.

It just makes sense. Get paid by the Lakers, play alongside two other superstars, live in L.A., work with Magic and finish out his career in style. James would be making the right choice by signing with the Lake Show come July.