Since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the summer of 2018, LeBron James has found himself experiencing it all: the highs of winning an NBA Championship, the lows of injury-riddled, playoff-less campaigns, the indescribable emotions that come with breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, etc.
Now, heading into his eighth season with the organization, recent reports seem to be suggesting that LA may actually be able to let the future Hall of Famer live out one of the biggest "What ifs" of his decorated career, as there's a chance he may finally be able to suit up alongside Andrew Wiggins.
Lakers 'eyeing' availability of former All-Star wing, Andrew Wiggins
According to a recent report by Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Lakers have been showing interest in pursuing a trade for Wiggins from the Miami Heat.
The idea behind such a deal would be for Los Angeles to "upgrade on the wing if possible," an area on the roster that's currently expected to be spearheaded by the likes of Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia.
An enviable assortment of talent, this is not.
Now, as admitted by Stein, the idea of Wiggins heading out to Los Angeles is heavily contingent on whether the Heat "decide to prioritize financial flexibility and look to reduce payroll," which, hopefully, would bring down the asking price for the 30-year-old as a result.
The addition of a guy like Wiggins would certainly spark excitement on its own due to his established pedigree as an NBA Champion and his two-way abilities, which, just this past season, led him to solid per-game averages of 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and just shy of a block on 37.4 percent shooting from deep.
However, perhaps equally as entertaining, if not more so, is the fact that it would finally give him and James the opportunity to play alongside one another.
Soon before making his return to the Cavaliers back in July of 2014, Wiggins was selected first overall by Cleveland in that June's NBA Draft.
With the return of James in free agency, then-GM David Griffin felt the need to try and assemble a roster around the superstar that was ready to win now, which, ultimately, led to the departure of Wiggins prior to the start of training camp in the blockbuster exchange that landed the club Kevin Love from Minnesota.
While this particular exchange wound up working out well for both players, as James ended up delivering on his promise to bring a title to Cleveland, while Wiggins would go on to establish himself as an All-Star and, ultimately, a champion down the line, 12 years later, the thoughts of "what could have been" had these two suited up together are still interesting to discuss.
Perhaps in 2025-26, fans will finally be able to see this once alternate universe duo take to the hardwood as teammates in this reality.