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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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LeBron James is 41 years old, and yet somehow he's still one of the best players in the NBA. In what was his 23rd season in the league last year, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds aross 60 games, shooting 51.5% from the floor. His numbers jumped even higher in the playoffs, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds across 10 postseason games.
The problem is that the Los Angeles Lakers are building a future around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and are unsure about how much James fits that picture.
James hasn't fully committed to returning to the Lakers next season. And according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, while the two sides have had "initial conversations," no exact figures have been discussed. James hasn't even confirmed whether or not he'll play at all next year.
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The Lakers, meanwhile, still need to address their starting center spot, with Doncic reportedly demanding the team go out and get an "A-list center" this summer. And LA just handed out a four-year, $185 million deal to Reaves. That doesn't leave a lot of space left to lock up James to the type of deal he'll probably demand.
So, if James' days in LA are truly numbered, where could he end up?
On Friday's episode of "First Take," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was quick to point to one team potentially making the call, the Miami Heat, who James won back-to-back titles with in 2012 and 2013 alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
"If he called Pat Riley and said, 'Listen, I wanna come back and join Giannis and Bam in Miami,' you think Riley's gonna tell him no? He ain't gonna tell him no," Smith said.
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Earlier this past week, the Heat pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history, acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakocionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap, and a second-round pick.
And just like that, Miami has one of the league's most dangerous duos with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, both All-Defensive talents, multi-time All-Stars, and two of the best frontcourt players in basketball.
The issue is that the Heat offloaded a bunch of talented role players and now has several roster spots to fill.
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James famously arrived in South Beach in 2010, delivered four straight Finals appearances, and won two straight NBA titles. His relationship with Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra reportedly remains strong to this day.
The Heat, however, are hard-capped as a first-apron team, leaving them with limited flexibility. Their best realistic offer to James would be the mid-level exception, which would require a massive pay cut for a player who many believe is still chasing max money.
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