Los Angeles Lakers: How the young talent fits with LeBron James
By Jacob Doole
The Los Angeles Lakers have gone from rebuilding to contenders in an instant by signing LeBron James, but how will their young pieces fit with The King?
LeBron James is a Laker. It still feels strange to say, but almost a week after the very low-key “Decision Part Three,” it’s starting to sink in.
In the months leading up to the announcement and in the days since, most fans have been trying to guess who will join LeBron in LA. It was widely assumed that Paul George would be there, until he re-signed with the Thunder. Kawhi Leonard trade talks seem to have stalled, but are surely still ongoing.
Most thought that LeBron wouldn’t join the Lakers without a second star there with him. After all, he will be 34 in December, and his prime years will surely end sooner rather than later. If he wants to add more rings to his collection, he’ll need to do so ASAP.
But with every day that passes, there are less and less options for the Lakers to pursue. George is off the market, DeMarcus Cousins is a Warrior, and a slew of one-year contracts has them primed for next summer’s stacked free agency class. It seems increasingly likely that the front office will wait until the summer of 2019.
If Magic Johnson and co are indeed waiting it out, LeBron will play next season with his youngest team since his first stint in Cleveland. An honestly, that might not be a bad thing; by signing a four-year deal, LeBron is clearly in LA for the long haul.
While some Lakers youngsters may be traded if a blockbuster deal does come together, it is worth considering how they could all fit alongside LeBron if they do hang around.