REPORTS: LeBron James, Paul George, Russell Westbrook Could All Sign With the Lakers in 2018

LeBron James is going to play for the Los Angeles Lakers next season according to Peter Vescey. This isn’t rumor. This is 100% fact according to Vescey’s latest report on Patreon:

Accordingly, I’m publicly terminating the pandemic of speculation surrounding LeBron James’ playing plans past this season. For months, many in the media declared or composed presumption the Lakers would be the beneficiaries of his talents when he became a free agent July 1, 2018.

I’m eradicating all conjecture and uncertainty! I’m comfortable now in stating unequivocally, LeBron will leave the Cavaliers a second time and join the Lakers, and return the team to LA Lore status.

Vescey also said that if the Lakers had been ready to compete last season, LeBron would have signed there, but they weren’t, so he didn’t. (Something else to keep in mind about that alternate timeline – the Lakers would not have been in the lottery and Lonzo Ball would have gone somewhere else.)

Vescey also points to LeBron and his wife checking out a school in Los Angeles last week which was chronicled by TMZ. LeBron said he was just at L.A.’s Notre Dame High School to workout after a long day of shooting commercials. (Weird coincidence – LeBron’s high school team was the Fighting Irish. Now his kids might attend Notre Dame on the other side of the country.)

Back to the 100% certain rumor:

Evidently, there is no need for the Lakers’ pampered president to tamper with LeBron, which doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any. I was told about a picture on the Internet of Jeanie Buss and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, but it was taken down, if it even existed, before I caught a glimpse.

This might actually corroborate the story that someone sent us about LeBron and Space Jam 2.

LeBron’s production company, SpringHill Entertainment, made a deal with Warner Bros to greenlight Space Jam 2. LeBron’s buddy/co-founder Maverick Carter along with Justin Lin have had numerous meetings with Jeanie Buss and WB executives.

The idea that the only thing holding back a LeBron James / Justin Lin project from getting a $100 million budget is “buzz” is idiotic, but that doesn’t mean these meetings didn’t take place. Especially if a real reporter says they did.

Now, that means that the Lakers have been found guilty of tampering with Paul George and now accused of tampering with LeBron James. I wonder if they’ve also had contact with Paul George’s new running mate, Russell Westbrook? Why do I ask? Because Brodie is also apparently headed to L.A. next summer. Late last week Ramona Shelburne suggested Westbrook could follow George to L.A. if he doesn’t sign an extension in OKC.

So the 2018-2019 Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup currently and theoretically looks like this: Lonzo Ball, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, LeBron James and Who Cares.

Brandon Ingram is supposed to make a big leap this season and he’s under team control through 2020. Julius Randle is a restricted free agent next summer. Brook Lopez could return at a discount after making $22 million this season. Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and DeMarcus Cousins are all free agents next summer. Maybe Hoodie Melo can get out of the final year of his contract. The only problem the Lakers seem to face is making the same tough decisions facing Team USA Basketball every four years.

Meanwhile, in reality, they have Lonzo Ball, Jordan Clarkson and Luol Deng under contract for the 2018-2019 season. So should Kevin Durant, his petty shoes, and the rest of the Golden State Warriors be worried? Sure sounds like it.