(Speculation) Sam Smith says Lebron to Lakers

[jwoods]

This is my first post, so if it is in the wrong place, don’t shoot me for it.  Please feel free to move or merge if necessary.

Sam Smith (author of the Jordan Rules) believes Lebron will go to L.A.  Someone please tell me this is not for real!  Tell me this has no chance of happening!  I'll do it...I swear I’ll do it!

http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/smith_091102.html

[Roy Hobbs]

Sam Smith notoriously makes things up.  I'd never trust him, for anything.

Los Angeles is over the cap next year, even if Kobe opts out.  Somehow, I don't see Lebron taking a MLE deal.  The Clippers will have enough (or nearly enough) cap room to sign him, if he wants to play in LA.

I think the best situation for Lebron would be the Nets.  They could sign Lebron and another decent free agent, and have a core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Courtney Lee.  They're going to be owned by one of the richest (and most competitive) men in the world, and things are back on track for them to move to Brooklyn again. 

[Rondo2287]

Sam Smith notoriously makes things up.  I'd never trust him, for anything.

Los Angeles is over the cap next year, even if Kobe opts out.  Somehow, I don't see Lebron taking a MLE deal.  The Clippers will have enough (or nearly enough) cap room to sign him, if he wants to play in LA.

I think the best situation for Lebron would be the Nets.  They could sign Lebron and another decent free agent, and have a core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Courtney Lee.  They're going to be owned by one of the richest (and most competitive) men in the world, and things are back on track for them to move to Brooklyn again. 

Clipps wouldnt be a bad place

Baron Davis
Eric Gordon
Lebron
Blake
Kaman

Al Thornton off the bench

[BudweiserCeltic]

There are quite a few teams with a good young core that could use LeBron next year. If I were LeBron I would seriously consider it since the Cavs are aging...

[footey]

Sam Smith notoriously makes things up.  I'd never trust him, for anything.

Los Angeles is over the cap next year, even if Kobe opts out.  Somehow, I don't see Lebron taking a MLE deal.  The Clippers will have enough (or nearly enough) cap room to sign him, if he wants to play in LA.

I think the best situation for Lebron would be the Nets.  They could sign Lebron and another decent free agent, and have a core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Courtney Lee.  They're going to be owned by one of the richest (and most competitive) men in the world, and things are back on track for them to move to Brooklyn again. 

There is still alot of litigation hanging up the Brooklyn development. If that is not cleared up, I can't imagine him signing with the Nets. The Meadowlands is nowhere, and even Lebron can't make people show up there.  I actually think the Clippers have a better corp group assembled, assuming Griffin can get back 100%.

[Roy Hobbs]

There is still alot of litigation hanging up the Brooklyn development.

There aren't any injunctions in place, are there?  The property owners simply are appealing the two lower court decisions, that were in favor of the team, right?

I thought the big issue was funding, and that's looking like a non-issue with their new owner.  Also, in the interim I think the Nets may move to Newark and the Prudential Center (which is a nice stadium, despite being in Newark.)

[JSD]

LA has no room on there cap or roster to sign him.

[jwoods]

Los Angeles is over the cap next year, even if Kobe opts out.  Somehow, I don't see Lebron taking a MLE deal. 

Any validity to the sign and trade idea in the article?

[ManUp]

And I say Sam Smith is a dumb nut.

Neither one of these guys is willing to play second fiddle at this stage in their careers.

[Chris]

Ah, Sam Smith...how I have missed him.  It seems like just yesterday, he was making up rumors about KG.

[Brickowski]

I think that teams clearing all kinds of cap room to get LeBron or Bosh is completely bogus.  Cleveland isn't going to let LeBron go for nothing, and Cleveland can pay him more than anyone else.  So if LeBron leaves Cleveland, it will be via a sign and trade.

Given that likely scenario, why should LeBron go to a team where the supporting cast isn't any better than it is in Cleveland, particularly given what they would have to give up to get him? LeBron wants to win.  So, teams like the Lakers or the Magic make perfectly good sense.  Teams like the Clippers, Nets and Knicks make no sense at all.  

[the_Bird]

LeBron isn't dumb; he's not entrusting his future to Donald Sterling.  I don't care about the talent on the Clips, they always find a way to mess it up.  Besides, if he WERE to sign with the Clips, Sterling wouldn't have to invest one plugged nickel into putting a good team around LeBron, since they'd be selling out the arena and making it deep into the playoffs without making any investments in the players around him. 

Would you really trust Sterling to spend the money to build a championship team, when just having LeBron is the biggest possible cash cow he could dream of?  LeBron ain't stupid, he's not trusting that man.

[WeMadeIt17]

The thing i dont get is why would LeBron leave where he can get the same money and still win? And if he were to take the M.L.E. I hate to break it to Laker fans i think it would be with us cause he has admired KG his whole life and says thats why he is so intense because he has seen KG his whole life. I always have that playing in my head Lebron shocks the world signs for the MLE. The thing that wouldn't be bad if he did that for idk 3 years and then the Celtics could sign him to a MAX contract in a few years. I know it won't happen but a 19 years old can dream right?!

[Roy Hobbs]

Los Angeles is over the cap next year, even if Kobe opts out.  Somehow, I don't see Lebron taking a MLE deal. 

Any validity to the sign and trade idea in the article?

If the Cavs want to do a sign-and-trade for Lebron, I think they can land somebody better -- or at least with fewer injury and attitude concerns -- than Andrew Bynum.

[greg683x]

Well at least if Lebron went to the Lakers I wouldnt have to decide which team I hate most anymore.