LeBron James has a major decision to make next summer. The way James’ contract is structured, he’s set to make $35.6 million next season with the Cleveland Cavaliers provided he uses his player option to opt into that contract for 2018-19. The other side of the coin is that James could decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent next summer, allowing him to field offers on the open market and essentially sign with whoever he wants.
Rumors surrounding James’ 2018 free agency have been circulating for years. Some NBA insiders think he’s destined for L.A. Others think the Houston Rockets are a legitimate option. Most feel he’s going to stay in Cleveland due in large part to the sheer absurdity of him leaving that franchise again. It feels impossible, coming off the heels of ‘The Decision,’ but it has become abundantly clear over the last few years that anything is possible in today’s NBA. In other words, nobody has any idea what LeBron James is going to do.
Paul Pierce knows LeBron James, at least on the surface. They’ve had some of the most exciting on-court battles over the last 15 or so years of NBA basketball, and there is obviously a ton of mutual respect here. Pierce, who is now a key figure on ESPN’s NBA coverage, talked about James’ upcoming free agency with Rachel Nichols on The Jump Friday afternoon.
Among the interesting things Pierce told Nichols during his segment included where he thinks LeBron James should play this season, and his answer was a bit surprising.
There is one Eastern Conference team where I think he is the best fit. I believe it’s the Washington Wizards. I mean, you have a young backcourt still. Guys where LeBron doesn’t have to carry the load every night. You know, you have a young small forward in Otto Porter. You can play LeBron at the 4. Can you imagine Bradley Beal, John Wall, LeBron James, Otto Porter, and Gortat? That team would definitely win the East. That team has experience, it has youth, it has everything you want. Hey, who knows?
It’s a fun thought, sure, but LeBron James signing with the Washington Wizards next summer has virtually zero chance of happening, particularly if, like Paul Pierce, you still want John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter still in town. Unless James takes an unheard of discount, and there is no reason to believe he will, the Wizards simply couldn’t fit all of those players under the salary cap.
