Superstar LeBron James could build a super team with the Lakers if his reported move to Los Angeles happens in 2018. According to sports columnist and podcaster Bill Simmons, James may team up with DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans, Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder and John Wall of the Washington Wizards with the Lakers in the 2018-19 season.
In the latest edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, Simmons aroused the idea of listeners with his theory that James, Wall, Cousins and George playing together in Los Angeles. Simmons explained that George is expected to join the Lakers in 2018 after his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder expires.
James, for his part, can decline the player option in his contract in 2018 to turn unrestricted free agent.
Simmons said James already fulfilled his promise to deliver a title to Cleveland so leaving them this time will be easier and it will be better for him to finish his career in Los Angeles, where his business interests are located. Also, LeBron's wife plans to relocate to Los Angeles permanently.
Wall, Cousins plan to play together
Cousins is in the last season of the four-year, $65.6 million deal that he signed with the Sacramento Kings, who traded him to the Pelicans in February’s trade deadline. However, Cousins has no plans of signing a contract extension with the team as of now.
Of the four, Wall’s situation is complicated because he’s eligible for a maximum contract extension this summer.
However, Wall is represented by Klutch, headed by James’ close friend Rich Paul, who can maneuver ways to provide James with point guard help in case he joins the Lakers. Simmons also claimed that Wall and Cousins are close friend and both are planning to play together in one team in the future.
If this scenario happens, Simmons said the Lakers could dump Luol Deng’s huge deal via trade to create the cap space needed to accommodate the contracts of the four superstars, with James taking less pay.
Lakers sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to deal
The Lakers recently signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a client of Klutch, to a one-year deal worth $18 million. He was a restricted free agent, but the Detroit Pistons renounced their rights to him after getting Avery Bradley via trade from the Boston Celtics. An eighth overall pick by the Pistons in 2013, Caldwell-Pope played four years in Detroit, averaging 13.7 points and 3.4 rebounds during his stint as starter in the past three seasons. The Lakers are also eyeing point guard Rajon Rondo as a possible backup and mentor to this year’s No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball.
