As LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to host Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, there will be plenty of talk about LeBron's upcoming free agency and the possibility he bolts for L.A.
Several rumors have linked LeBron to Los Angeles once the 2017-18 NBA season comes to an end, but ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst are now reporting that the move seems like "a long shot."
While LeBron has fuelled these rumors- whether intentionally or not- by buying another home in LA and visiting private high schools in the area, it's still anybody's guess what he'll do when he has his pick of NBA franchises next Summer. That said, the story published by Shelburne and Windhorst suggest the Lakers are no longer the favorite and, in fact, a long shot.
Los Angeles will have the cap space for one max deal next Summer, and could possibly have room for another if they're able to shed Luol Deng's contract, or trade some of their valued players.
Obviously, LA and Cleveland won't be the only two teams competing for a chance to sign the 4x NBA MVP.
The Houston Rockets, who are undefeated with Chris Paul in the lineup this season, are a potential landing spot given CP3's relationship with LeBron but Shelburne and Windhorst say, "League sources called the concept that James and Paul want to spend their golden years as teammates an overstated assumption."
At this point, it's truly anybody's guess where LeBron will be playing after this season, but that doesn't mean the speculation will seize to exist, especially with the Lakers in town tonight.