The future of LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers is up in the air. LeBron has just one more season left under contract and there is speculation that he will not sign a contract extension. Add in the fact that he wants to play with his son Bronny in the future and Laker fans have already accepted the fact that he will likely play for another team at some point.
LeBron does not have much career left in front of him but he could still make some monumental moves. Not only can he become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA but he could also use his next team as an avenue to ownership, similarly to Michael Jordan.
LeBron said on the newest episode of ‘The Shop’, which releases on Friday, that he does want to own a team in the future and wants a team in Las Vegas.
"I want a team in Vegas." 👀 @KingJames hints at his next big move on an all new episode of #TheShop TOMORROW at 9 am PT on our YouTube! 📺 pic.twitter.com/HIZKsBYPGF
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 9, 2022
Vegas has widely been rumored to be an expansion destination for the NBA. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons was on the possibility of this happening long before anyone else, predicting that LeBron would be part of the Vegas ownership group back in February.
But this raises the question: could LeBron James accomplish his goal of owning a Vegas team and playing with his son at the same time? It would be truly record-setting and the answer is a resounding yes.
How LeBron James could leave the Lakers for a Las Vegas-based team.
All of the stars are aligning for LeBron to be part of an ownership group in Las Vegas and play for said team at the end of his career. Granted, it is actually against NBA rules for an active player to own part of a basketball team while playing. So technically, LeBron cannot be a player-owner.
However, there can be a handshake agreement that LeBron would take his talents to Sin City, play a season there to end his career and transition that into an ownership stake the following year. He gets to play with his son and gets to own a team. Best of all, he does not have to move as Vegas is a quick private jet ride from Los Angeles.
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The expansion rumors that have dated back before LeBron said this indicated that the league could add two teams after the 2024-25 season. Vegas and Seattle have widely been believed to be the two destinations, which would result in two Western Conference teams going out East.
Adam Silver denied these rumors but it does line up with when the league’s media rights deal is over. If there was a perfect time to expand and add two more teams it would be before a new rights deal.
In this timeline, Bronny would have to spend two years in college and that might not be the worst thing for him. Bronny is not lighting the world on fire as an NBA prospect and having that extra year of development would help him in actually getting to play with his dad in his rookie season in the league. Sure, another team could draft him, but Klutch and LeBron could flex their leverage to get Bronny to Vegas.
In theory, that gives LeBron three more years in LA and one final year in Vegas. That makes a two-year extension with the Lakers a no-brainer for LeBron this offseason. He won’t be the same player when he joins the Vegas team at 40 years old but it would be the perfect way for a new team to begin its existence and gain some buzz throughout the league.
It makes sense for LeBron, it makes sense for the league and it makes sense for a future Vegas team. Heck, it also makes a ton of sense for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they can get LeBron James for two more years and that is it.
It feels inevitable that LeBron James will not only end his season in Las Vegas but will end it with Bronny by his side.