Declining ‘Trust’ in Jeanie Buss’ Lakers to Force LeBron James Out Of LA, Claims Nick Wright

At this point, LeBron James has just a little over one month to decide if he will accept or decline his $51.4 million player option for next season. Considering all the options, the smarter and the more obvious choice would be to decline it whether he wants to skip town or lock in more years with the Lakers. But declining the player option will make his future in LA highly uncertain. And amid that uncertainty, veteran analyst Nick Wright believes King James should find a new home because of a massive shortcoming in Jeanie Buss’ team.

Discussing LeBron’s future in LA on First Things First, Wright claimed that LeBron is likely to stay in LA and continue playing for the Lakers. However, he doesn’t think that would be the best decision for him, “I think he is better off leaving… Any trust you had in the organization has dwindled over the last few years.” While there is a belief among fans that LeBron uses his puppet strings to control the moves Jeanie Buss and Co. make, Wright believes that might be far from the truth.

Backing his point, Nick reminded the world of two moves that LeBron wanted the Lakers to make in the last few years that the front office couldn’t pull off. First, when LeBron was pushing for the Lakers to hire his former Championship head coach Ty Lue four years ago, the Lakers instead went with Frank Vogel. Then, nearly two years ago, LeBron reportedly wanted the Lakers to acquire his former co-star Kyrie Irving. But that desire also never came to fruition. More importantly, Kyrie’s market value at that time was at an all-time low because of his off-court antics and the Lakers could have gotten the superstar at a very low price. So, it is clear that not every time does LeBron get what he wants in LA. So, Wright believes that his declining trust in the front office could be a reason for him to leave the Lakers.

Chris Broussard has the perfect destination in mind for LeBron James

Even Nick’s co-panellist Chris Broussard shared the same sentiment that LeBron is more likely to stay in LA mainly because his whole family is well settled there. From the multiple business ventures to his children studying and playing in that city, LeBron will have to make a lot of changes if he switches teams. However, keeping family aside and looking from a basketball standpoint, Broussard claimed, “If his goal is just to win, Philadelphia! That’s the place he should go.”

Unlike most contending teams in the league, Philly currently has the cap space to sign a player like LeBron on max contract. Yes, there have been countless reports about Daryl Morey’s interest in acquiring Paul George. But Broussard believes signing LeBron would be a much better option for both parties. Although LeBron is nearing the age of forty, Broussard claimed he is still a better player than PG and less likely to get injured. Moreover, with Joel Embiid’s injury-prone nature, Philly wants a player who has a ‘Win Now’ mentality and can get them over the hump instantly. And LeBron is exactly that guy because of his urgency to win before he retires.

As far as LeBron goes, he would be a great fit alongside Embiid and Maxey because of his playoff experience and high IQ. Do you think LeBron should stay in LA or move to a destination like Philadelphia for a chance at winning another ring?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.