With LeBron James now set to become a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, the challenge shifts toward making sure all the pieces on the team fit together.
LeBron James shook the basketball world once again on the first day of free agency, agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $154 million over four years, as first announced by his agency, Klutch Sports.
This confirms over a year’s worth of speculation from analysts and fans alike who believed that James would take his talents west once his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers ran out.
The people of Los Angeles should celebrate for weeks, and for good reason. LeBron’s presence will not only end the Lakers five-year playoff drought, but it will immediately shift them into title contention mode — a gear they’re all too familiar with.
— Klutch Sports Group (@KlutchSports) July 2, 2018
Once the hoopla dies down, though, it will be time to examine the King’s fit with this young Lakers roster. With a nucleus of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, L.A. possesses three players with immense talent who have yet to prove anything in the league.
Now, they’ll be thrust into the limelight even more, forced to adapt quickly in the hopes they can help deliver another title to the City of Angels.
A storyline to watch will be how James adjusts to playing with not only inexperienced players, but fairly young talent as well, as Kuzma is the oldest of the three at just 22 years of age.