2. James Harden
LeBron and Harden are two of the best players of this generation. Both made the NBA’s 75th anniversary team and have won MVP honors. King James and the Heatles defeated a young Harden’s Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals, and the Lakers took out the Rockets inside the bubble. They have not played together in the NBA, but LeBron and The Beard were teammates.
They helped Team USA win an Olympic gold medal in 2012. Harden averaged the second-fewest minutes on the team. LeBron led them in assists and was a fixture in steamrolling the competition. Team USA was dominant and walked away with a title.
Harden is a free agent this summer and is expected to remain in Los Angeles. The Clippers want to run it back and hope to jump into title contention next season. They were bounced in the first round of playoffs but played most of the series without Kawhi Leonard. Expect Harden to return, but the Clippers will likely have another early playoff exit in 2025.
The Los Angeles Lakers need a ball-handler to take the pressure off LeBron as he approaches his 40th birthday, but it won’t be James Harden. There is one expected free agent on the board that King James would love to have as his teammate again and could help the Lakers get back into serious contention.