There’s a growing sense that LeBron James might look to leave Los Angeles, despite having proclaimed he wants to retire in the purple and gold.
However, even more importantly, The Chosen One has expressed a desire to play together with his son Bronny that could supersede everything else. This will certainly make things interesting if Bronny gets drafted, but it’s something we’ll just have to wait on.
In any case, LeBron plans on being around for seven more years, which might even allow his younger son Bryce to meet him in the NBA.
Do The Miami Heat Have The Best Shot At LeBron?
CBS’s Sam Quinn has rated the chances of all of the league’s other teams as it pertains to landing James. And his former team, the Miami Heat have been ranked No.1.
While Miami has assets to interest the Lakers, Quinn has named Herro as a potential sticking point, though he pointed to the Shaquille O’Neal trade in 2004 as an example of Pat Riley’s negotiating prowess. The Lakers were keen on landing Dwyane Wade back then but the Heat managed to fashion a trade for the former center that didn’t require parting ways with Wade.
O’Neal and Wade would team up to help the franchise win its first championship. Wade and LeBron teamed up to win the Heat two more titles several years later but the latter opted to return to Cleveland, where he won the Cavaliers their first.
“Miami could offer three first-round picks along with Lowry as the primary matching salary. The Lakers would probably ask for Tyler Herro. That would be the sticking point in negotiations,” Quinn wrote.
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“The last time the Lakers and Heat made a trade of this magnitude, the Lakers tried a similar staredown involving Dwyane Wade and blinked,” he added. “They ultimately sent Shaquille O’Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. It’s hard not to draw parallels to that trade when speculating about this one. Both deals began with an aging legend growing frustrated as the Lakers prioritized the future over the present.”
Would This Make Sense For The Heat?
While giving up a player who certainly has the looks of a future star about him and is coming off of a season in which he won the Sixth man of the Year Award for a LeBron James who turned 38 on Friday might not seem like good business for Miami, Quinn notes that the Heat are about winning now, not later.
At 18-17, they aren’t even in the top six in the Eastern Conference a year after earning the No. 1 seed. They never adequately replaced Tucker at power forward. Jimmy Butler remains a major injury risk, and Kyle Lowry just isn’t the player he used to be anymore. This current group has probably missed its window to win a championship. The Heat don’t rebuild. They reload.
The Heat went to the NBA Finals in 2020 but lost to James’ Lakers in six. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, before bowing out to the Boston Celtics in seven games. One good move might just push them over the line.
