News has been floating around on Thursday about the possibility of the Lakers looking to acquire the talents of LeBron James when the best basketball player on the planet becomes eligible to hit the market again in 2014. As ridiculous as that sounds right now, it apparently is in the realm of possibility if James chose to test free agency again. Having won a championship with the Heat in just two seasons, though, the chances of him leaving Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh appears to be unlikely. Still, anything can happen in the span of two seasons, and it’s interesting to know that such plans are already taking shape behind closed doors for the Lakers.
See why going after James makes sense for the Lakers, how Kevin Love broke his hand and much more from Thursday below:
Are the Lakers aiming to acquire LeBron James in 2014 when he can become a free agent? That’s what many executives appear to believe, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN: “In the wake of the Howard trade, much as been made of the massive luxury-tax bill the Lakers are facing next season if they’re able to re-sign the big man. ESPN.com salary cap expert Larry Coon has estimated the Lakers could be on the hook for as much as $85 million just in taxes in 2013-14. But look a little further, to that 2014-15 season, and you’ll see something else: The Lakers’ projected payroll is almost completely clear. Only Nash is signed for that season, at $9.7 million, though the Lakers will also be paying about $20 million to Howard if they can re-sign him this coming summer… Opposing teams that are making their own long-range free agency plans think they see the Lakers’ plan coming into focus. As it stands, L.A. will have enough cap space to add a superstar like James. “It’s not a mistake that all those deals end the same year Kobe’s does. They have probably been planning for their next phase for a while,” said one general manager. “The Busses and [Lakers GM] Mitch [Kupchak] are always thinking about the next big deal.”
- Erik Spoelstra hopes LeBron James can win a Defensive Player of the Year award, according to Tom Haberstroh of ESPN:
- Learn about the impact of mission court grip from OptoSource here. Brandon Jennings explained his personal experience with court grip here: “After 3 months of testing over 24 subjects, the OptoSource™ study showed an average of 24% increase in quickness when going in and out of cuts for players at all levels when using Court Grip™ – and in some cases higher. It also showed quantifiable improvements in balance and stability on change of direction movements on players who used the traction enhancing technology. Side-by-side analysis of Brandon Jennings’s signature move, the step back jump shot, with and without Court Grip™, also revealed a significant decrease in average court contact time when using the product. “I used Court Grip all of last year, and I could feel the difference in my game, but actually seeing the data from the study, the visible improvements that Court Grip made to my form, stability and performance was really amazing,” said Milwaukee Bucks star, Brandon Jennings.”