The coming offseason is going to be a crucial one for Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James as he has the freedom to decline his player option and enter free agency. However, a wild trade idea about him and Paul George being swapped had people talking about the possibilities recently.
James started the 2023-24 campaign with renewed hope after last season’s Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. Even though they were swept at that time, there was a consensus that the Purple and Gold became stronger in the offseason with key additions, like Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, and Gabe Vincent.
However, that hope didn’t really materialize as the Lakers were eliminated again by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs this year. This caused Los Angeles’ front office to let Darvin Ham go after a disappointing conclusion to the Lakers’ season.
Paul George, on the other hand, was one of the few consistent elements for the Los Angeles Clippers this year. Unlike Kawhi Leonard who was always out due to injuries, the former Indiana Pacers star played 74 games and averaged 22.6 points5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. Needless to say, the All-Star wing’s run this season also ended in a disappointing fashion, thanks to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
Los Angeles Lakers Trade LeBron James For LA Clippers’ Paul George in Insane Trade Idea
As both teams are now out of contention, certain trade proposals have been made for them. Among those that have been suggested is The Ringers’ Bill Simmons in an article posted by Heavy.
““Has anyone thrown out the Paul George for LeBron trade where LeBron gets to stay in LA and Paul George goes to the Lakers?” Simmons pondered during a May 15, 2024 episode of his self-titled podcast. “… That’s kind of a fun trade though, right? I just don’t know if LeBron would ever play for the Clippers,” the article stated.
While that proposal seems intriguing on paper, there are several factors that won’t allow it to prosper. In the first place, George isn’t exactly a game-changing player that can deliver a ring to the Lakers. Furthermore, there’s no indication James would want to play for the Clippers during the final phase of his career.
Expect a lot more of these trade proposals to come out in the coming months. In particular, a lot of these ideas will revolve around James as he enters the possible final season he’ll ever play in the NBA.
