"He might have to leave LA to get it" - Charles Oakley gets the rumor mill running as he suggests that LeBron James might leave the Lakers to win one more ring
Superstar LeBron James' quest for another championship might be with another team. At least one NBA veteran predicted James would leave the LA Lakers if push came to shove.
Speaking to SiriusXM NBA Radio, former New York Knicks big man Charles Oakley predicted "King James" might be looking to move on from the Lakers if he feels he cannot win another championship with the LA-based franchise.
Oakley said:
"“He definitely wants to win a championship before he retires, and he might have to leave LA to get it. I don't know if it's Cleveland, could be somewhere else. He left twice, and he'll leave again."
Oakley also spoke about how it is too soon to write off the Lakers (24-27). He said:
"I think if AD comes back and can stay healthy and Westbrook can channel his game to the way Lakers want as a team, I mean, anything can still can happen. They can still go out and win."
"He left twice... he'll leave again."
@CharlesOakley34 tells @TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine his thoughts on LeBron's future https://t.co/xsxCbUd1qX
Is LeBron James looking to leave the Lakers?
LeBron James' current contract with the Lakers expires at the end of the 2022-23 season. He is projected to earn a little over $85 million this year and next. This would suggest that he is going nowhere and wants to see the contract out.
However, one of James' biggest wishes is to play with his son, Bronny James, who is eligible to be drafted into the league in 2024.
This would mean that when he hits free agency in 2023, LeBron in all likelihood will choose his next destination depending on where his son is predicted to land. That could very well be with the Lakers since Bronny is projected to be a late first-round pick. Or it could be somewhere else.
LeBron James has been selected to the All-Star Game for the 18th consecutive season, tying Kobe Bryant for the longest streak in NBA history. https://t.co/hvYoXK6h7A
However, the Lakers still hold the best chance for James, who is 37, to win his fifth championship. As poorly constructed as the current roster might be with aging players, the Lakers do possess Anthony Davis. If the Lakers can get their house in order, at the very least defensively, then there is every chance they could make a deep run in the postseason this year.
Outside of basketball, L.A. is the place to be for James and his off-the-court ventures as various businesses of his can thrive in a big-market city like Los Angeles. With that said, with LeBron essentially chasing Michael Jordan and his six rings, it isn't an unsubstantiated thought to think he might feel his best opportunity to win at least one more championship if not two might lie elsewhere.