It is anyone’s guess which NBA team LeBron James will play for next season, and of course, there is the possibility he will simply decide to retire this summer. The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be the team he’s most likely to play for this fall, but right now, no one can predict with any certainty which uniform he will be wearing come October.
This season, he adjusted well to a new and unfamiliar role as the Lakers’ third scoring option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But some people may feel that it isn’t a role he will want to stay in and that it is a situation that could cause him to leave.
That is the sentiment Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe expressed on his “Nightcap” podcast when speculating why James could depart.
“He doesn’t want to be the one with the ball all the time, but he doesn’t want to be the third option either,” Sharpe said. “He’s never been the third option.
“He was number two the year before last when Luka first got there, and I think he was cool with that. I think deep down, and I don’t know this to be certain, but I think deep down, LeBron’s like, ‘Austin Reaves is not better than me.’ He doesn’t believe Austin Reaves is better than he is.”
It is thought that if James does leave the Lakers, he will likely return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, if he does so, he may still be relegated to being their third scoring option. Donovan Mitchell, who averaged 27.9 points a game during the regular season, would likely remain their first option, while James Harden, who is still an All-Star-level player and is one of the league’s leaders in assists at age 36, could be second in their pecking order.
The Cavaliers just got swept by the streaking New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. Mitchell and Harden have both expressed a desire to remain with the team, even though Harden has a player option for next season.
Cleveland will have to do some maneuvering to offer James a competitive salary next season, as it is currently jammed against the second apron of the salary cap.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Shannon Sharpe on why LeBron James could leave the Lakers
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
