LEBRON JAMES IS ALREADY LINING UP HIS NEXT MOVE AFTER SON BRONNY JOINED THE LAKERS, CLAIMS NBA INSIDER: 'WANTS TO BECOME THE FACE OF THE FRANCHISE'
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LeBron James is already plotting a huge move away from the Lakers just one week after being joined by his son Bronny in LA, according to reports.
Bronny was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in last week's NBA Draft, meaning LeBron is set to make history and play alongside his eldest boy in the 2024-25 season.
On the back of his son's second-round selection, reports emerged claiming the basketball legend has agreed to return to LA himself on a $104million, two-year contract after his latest deal expired.
However, despite the double celebrations in the James household, the head of the family is believed to be lining up his next move already.
According to NBA writer Brian Windhorst - who is filling in for Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's First Take this week - LeBron is setting his sights on becoming 'the face' of a potential expansion team in Las Vegas in the near future.
'What is the next thing that he wants? What has he made clear that is after playing with his son? He wants to be the owner of the coming expansion team in Las Vegas,' Windhorst claimed on First Take.
'So the biggest thing other than health that we're going to see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron's career is, is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they're going to establish that expansion team in Las Vegas.
'Now nothing is assured and they keep putting that asterisk on everything, but I suspect once the TV rights deals get wrapped up, which should be this summer sometime, and they have that done, they have the CBA done, the TV deal done, they've extended Adam Silver's contract.. they're going to bring expansion to the table and they're going to probably pick a year in which that's going to be.
'It won't be next season, so it'll probably at the earliest be two years from now.
'And that's what I think LeBron will be focused on. He wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas.'
The NBA has an ongoing interest in adding a Vegas expansion team in the coming years, with commissioner Adam Silver even calling it their '31st franchise' last year.
While he is said to be keen on becoming the owner of that expansion franchise, Windhorst says LeBron is showing few signs that his playing career could soon draw to a close.
'He just played the most games he's played as a Laker. This last season he played 71 games,' he added. 'That's the most since 2018. He was spectacular this season, 26 points, setting seven rebounds or eight rebounds, seven assists. He had a great year, no doubt.
'He had one of the best shooting years of his career. His defensive situation is not great, but you know, he can still turn it on occasionally.
'His son just signed a four-year contract. You know, his son's not going year to year. So I don't think his intention is to only play one more year, acknowledging that it could be out of his hands.
'So LeBron has very clearly laid out with his words and actions what his checklist is.
'He wants to be a Laker, regardless of how he gets frustrated when they don't make moves or whatever. He keeps signing contracts with the Lakers.
'He's about to enter his seventh year there. That's the longest run he's had with any team. He's changed teams all these times. He's clearly a Laker. He's not going anywhere.'
Read more 2024-07-05T18:03:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd