Will he stay or will he go? To paraphrase the name of one of the most famous songs by the punk rock band The Clash, that is the question some are asking these days about LeBron James.
He is expected to decline the player option on his contract for next season and become a free agent this summer, something Rich Paul, his agent, seemed to confirm days ago.
While most believe James will ultimately stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, there is always the chance he will leave. The Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly readying themselves to go after him if he has any reservations about remaining with the Lakers.
But Udonis Haslem, James’ former teammate on the Miami Heat, thinks the chances of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer leaving his current team are slim to none.
Udonis Haslem on LeBron:
“You got a better chance wrestling an alligator than getting Bron out of LA.” pic.twitter.com/64Hm0OObHi
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) May 27, 2024
Some seem to think L.A. could entice James to stay by drafting his son Bronny and hiring former sharpshooter JJ Redick to be its next head coach. Redick is the elder James’ co-host on the “Mind the Game” podcast.
Multiple reports have indicated Redick is the favorite to land the team’s head coaching job. In fact, according to one report, there are already three men lined up to be on his staff if he lands the gig.