With LeBron James potentially hitting free agency, who can the Los Angeles Lakers bring in to entice him to stay?
LeBron James is no stranger to big threes. James had to fend off the Boston Celtics’ big three before forming two of his own with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
James is headed towards what is likely his final free agency decision of his career. While one may think that returning to the Los Angeles Lakers feels like a foregone conclusion, others may disagree.
After failing to get past the Denver Nuggets once more in the Western Conference playoffs, James will need a better team around him than what he had this season with the Lakers if one more championship is in the cards for LeBron.
There is no guarantee James returns to Los Angeles. A murky future is likely on the horizon for this team upon his departure, given their focus on the present and the draft capital they’ve surrendered to maximize this window. Considering this, the Lakers would be wise to take one more swing for the fences at another championship.
While the sustainability of big threes in today’s era may be up for question given the results experienced in these playoffs, LeBron-led teams have succeeded with them in the past.
This year’s Phoenix Suns may have failed, but the makeup of their big three was a questionable fit at best. The Los Angeles Clippers bowed out to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, but Kawhi Leonard’s injury troubles played a massive factor in that series.
There may be reservations about a move like this given the recent history of Russell Westbrook with the Lakers, but hopefully, the front office has learned their lesson about the types of players that fit with LeBron from that.
With that in mind, here are five stars the Lakers could bring to Los Angeles to ensure James returns to the team this summer.
