Why LeBron James and Paul George will both be in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform next season
Every single year, there are always rumors about top superstar players that will play for the Los Angeles Lakers and it seems to never happen. There are those rumors turning up again and you might be like, well it is going to be a different year and same results, but don't jump so fast on that conclusion.
With LeBron James and Paul George being free agents at the end of the 2018 season, it is quite possible both of them will be in a Lakers uniform for the 2018-2019 season and beyond. This move would make sense for the both of them for a few reasons.
#1 LeBron James will only join the Lakers if Paul George does. LeBron doesn't want to go to a team where he is the only proven superstar. At 33 years of age, LeBron doesn't want to join a team in rebuild mode. Paul George will go to Los Angeles because he is originally from Palmdale, CA.
#2 The Paul George-Russell Westbrook relationship isn't working in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Thunder record is 41-29 and they are seeded fourth in the west. The standings in the west change from day-to-day.
Oklahoma City could fall to seven before the playoffs begin or they could be as high as a three seed. George is averaging 21.9 PPG this season in Oklahoma City compared to averaging 23.7 PPG with the Indiana Pacers back in 2016-2017.
#3 LeBron James knows he isn't going to win another championship with this roster in Cleveland. LeBron James might be having the best season in his NBA career with 26.9 PPG 8.5 RPG 9.0 APG and 1.5 SPG, but Lebron doesn't have a great supporting cast.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a 39-28 record so far this season and they are currently fourth in the east. It is possible that LeBron James heading to the finals for an eighth consecutive time is very much in doubt.
James is currently 3-5 in the finals and he doesn't just want to lose in the finals again. Lebron thinks he has a better chance of maybe catching Michael Jordan's six titles in Los Angeles, even though it most likely won't happen.
#4 The Los Angeles Lakers are 8-3 since the all-star break. Even though the Los Angeles Lakers won't make it to the playoffs, they have promising future stars in the league.
Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle are key players for the Lakers future. If Los Angeles adds LeBron James and Paul George, they will be much better and compete for a possible championship right away.
#5 Brook Lopez, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Isaiah Thomas, and Channing Frye's contract will all be off the books. Over $55 million will alone be off the books and the Lakers will have the cap space.