Image via USA Today Sports
Picture LeBron James plotting after the NBA Finals. He sits in a conference room at Klutch Sports, the agency that reps him, Starbucks in hand, sporting a T and Nike sweatshorts. Rich Paul, his agent, sits by him with Evernote open on an iPad. An intern stands at a whiteboard, taking notes.
The King and his crew brainstorm the pros and cons of his options—stick with the Cavs and remain the hometown hero; build an empire in Los Angeles or New York; join the league's next dynasty in Philly or Boston; take his talents back to South Beach; chase a ring in 2018-19 with Pop or Chris Paul?
LeBron calculates every decision, on and off the court, with the precision of a machine. As fans finally learned the resolution to this years-long saga Sunday —LBJ is headed to the Lakers on a four-year max contract—we've attempted to provide a peek inside the 33-year-old's head as he made his decision.
To do so, we established 10 categories and ranked eight potential suitors across the criteria. These rankings yielded a LeBron Match Score. We applied double weight to three categories—LeBron's connections to the team, the legacy boost he'd receive for winning a title there, and the lifestyle the team's hometown would afford him—as reports indicated these were his top priorities.
A high score means the destination aligns well with LeBron, and a low score means it aligns poorly. A perfect situation would receive an 8.0 overall, meaning we ranked that team No. 1 in all 10 categories. If we ranked a team dead last in all 10 categories, that destination would receive a 1.0.
Some of the rankings are objective measurements, but others are our subjective opinion. In debating where to position each squad, we cross-referenced every report we could find about LeBron's free agency—like the ones about him disliking Houston and prioritizing his family's comfort over basketball. This method is far from flawless, but it is a step closer to understanding the thought process that led to LeBron James ultimately settling on the Lakers.
Below is the breakdown by team. You can check out the full rankings across each category at the bottom of this post.
1. Lakers — Match Score: 6.15
Connections to the Team: 2
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 3
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 1
Coaching: 7
2019 Title Odds: 4
Basketball Fit:3
Cap Flexibility: 1
Draft Assets: 3
Front Office: 5
Youth: 2
L.A. is situated in Hollywood, home to LeBron's production company (SpringHill Entertainment), and LBJ owns two mansions in the area. Furthermore, Bronny, LeBron's son, is a legitimately promising basketball prospect, and the California high school scene is enticing. LeBron's close relationship with Magic Johnson doesn't hurt, either. Thanks to the above factors and shrewd roster management over the past year, particularly at the trade deadline, the Lakers landed in prime position as the best fit for LeBron, per our rankings.
Happy birthday @MagicJohnson!! One of the few that's always showed love from day 1 to me! Thank you. Enjoy your day!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 14, 2017
2. Cavs — Match Score: 4.85
Connections to the Team: 1
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 1
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 3
Coaching: 4
2019 Title Odds: 5
Basketball Fit: 1
Cap Flexibility: 8
Draft Assets: 6
Front Office: 7
Youth: 6
LeBron is already a living legend in Cleveland, but staying with the Cavs would have cemented his status as a true Ohio immortal. Additionally, he would have known what to expect on the court if he had stuck with the Cavs; the team and all related franchise decisions would revolve around him as they have for the past four seasons. Claiming another ring in Cleveland would have provided the biggest boost to his G.O.A.T. résumé. The Cavs, however, suffered because of their subpar cap situation and LeBron's always-strained relationship with Dan Gilbert. They would've had a better case if they had held onto David Griffin, who had a strong relationship with LeBron. Ranking low in cap flexibility and front office is really what killed Cleveland.
3. Heat — Match Score: 4.69
Connections to the Team: 3
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 4
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 2
Coaching: 3
2019 Title Odds: 7
Basketball Fit: 4
Cap Flexibility: 7
Draft Assets: 8
Front Office: 4
Youth: 5
Miami surprisingly beat out Philadelphia and Boston in our calculations. The reasons: LeBron is familiar with the franchise, his family would be comfortable in South Beach, and Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Heat's roster left much to be desired, though, and Miami has only two draft picks over the next three years. It's hard to imagine LeBron thinking he could lead this team past the Sixers and Celtics to the Finals, and we all know the King wouldn't be satisfied with repeated early-playoff exits—which is probably why he didn't give Miami much thought despite some obvious positives.
4. 76ers — Match Score: 4.38
Connections to the Team: 6
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 6
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 5
Coaching: 5
2019 Title Odds: 3
Basketball Fit: 8
Cap Flexibility: 2
Draft Assets: 1
Front Office: 6
Youth: 1
This team is already so fun to watch—imagine what it'd be like if LeBron were there, too. The Sixers popped up in rumors because they're loaded with young talent and have plenty of trade bait to get even better. But the basketball fit just wasn't there. LBJ and Ben Simmons are both ball-dominant; though they seem to get along well, their playing styles would clash, as Charles Barkley noted. LeBron probably could win a ring with this team—or at least come close—but it wouldn't do much for his legacy, as pundits already expect the Sixers to contend for a ring in 2019. LeBron is always thinking long term. A decision like this would have tainted his stature in conversations 20 years down the road, even if it worked out.
5. Celtics — Match Score: 4.23
Connections to the Team: 8
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 7
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 6
Coaching: 2
2019 Title Odds: 2
Basketball Fit: 6
Cap Flexibility: 4
Draft Assets: 2
Front Office: 1
Youth: 3
LeBron has never had a great relationship with Boston, but the Celtics—like the Sixers—are now flush with young talent and assets, as well as the league's best young coach and arguably its best general manager. This squad should compete for championships for a decade. This situation is similar to that of Philly, however, in that winning a ring with the already-favored Celtics would do little to better Bron's brand—and could even hurt it, considering he'd be joining a longtime rival at the most convenient moment. It's also not clear the Celtics really even wanted LeBron, who isn't a natural fit for the we-before-me playing style and culture Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge have developed. Would they really want to disrupt that with the biggest individual presence in American sports?
"You put my mother on the floor, and if she were in a Boston Celtics uniform, I'd break her face." -- LeBron James, in an interview with me six years ago.
— Lee Jenkins (@SI_LeeJenkins) May 28, 2018
6. Knicks — Match Score: 4.15
Connections to the Team: 7
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 2
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 4
Coaching: 8
2019 Title Odds: 8
Basketball Fit: 2
Cap Flexibility: 3
Draft Assets: 4
Front Office: 8
Youth: 4
There's no question bringing New York basketball back to relevance would greatly enhance LeBron's legacy, and he knows the Knicks' on- and off-court decisions would center on him—just the way he likes it. But too many problems hampered this troubled franchise—its lack of talent outside of Kristaps Porzingis and its tumultuous recent history with coaches and executives, among others—for James to take this possibility seriously. New York would need strong personal connections to LBJ to reel him in, and the Knicks didn't have that. Sorry, Kenyon Martin.
7. Spurs — Match Score: 3.69
Connections to the Team: 5
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 5
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 7
Coaching: 1
2019 Title Odds: 6
Basketball Fit: 5
Cap Flexibility: 6
Draft Assets: 5
Front Office: 3
Youth: 8
The Spurs had two advantages in the sweepstakes: their history of winning rings under Gregg Popovich and Pop's relationship with LeBron. But LeBron has connections all over the league—connections deeper than his friendly relationship with Pop—and the Spurs' lack of youth, cap space, and talent (especially sans Kawhi Leonard, who will all but certainly be off the roster in the near future) hurt them. The fact that the team doesn't play in a major market hurt, too. Pop alone wasn't enough for LeBron to entertain the thought of San Antonio for long.
8. Rockets — Match Score: 3.31
Connections to the Team: 4
Legacy Boost With a Ring: 8
Lifestyle/Family Comfort: 8
Coaching: 6
2019 Title Odds: 1
Basketball Fit: 7
Cap Flexibility: 5
Draft Assets: 7
Front Office: 2
Youth: 7
Per a recent report, the Rockets didn't give up on recruiting LeBron until the very last minute. Their angle: Come here and win a ring. But LeBron knows even in the best situation of these eight, winning a championship next season is far from guaranteed—especially when you play in the same conference as the Warriors. Go to L.A. and miss out on a ring next year? That's perfectly understandable. Go to Houston, with Paul and the reigning MVP, and lose in the playoffs? That's a legacy and public relations disaster. The Harden-Paul experiment worked beautifully in Year One, but it's difficult to imagine those stars being willing to take a backseat to LeBron. And Paul, 33, likely doesn't have more than one good year left in the tank—even though he just re-upped for four years on a max deal, straining Houston's financial future. Lastly, as we noted, LeBron doesn't seem to particularly like the city of Houston. The copious downsides of this situation greatly outweighed the increased chance of winning a title in 2019.
Rankings by Category
Connections to the Team (weighted x2)
1. Cleveland
2. Los Angeles
3. Miami
4. Houston
5. San Antonio
6. Philadelphia
7. New York
8. Boston
Legacy Boost With a Ring (x2)
1. Cleveland
2. New York
3. Los Angeles
4. Miami
5. San Antonio
6. Philadelphia
7. Boston
8. Houston
Lifestyle/Family Comfort (x2)
1. Los Angeles
2. Miami
3. Cleveland
4. New York
5. Philadelphia
6. Boston
7. Houston
8. San Antonio
Coaching
1. San Antonio
2. Boston
3. Miami
4. Cleveland
5. Philadelphia
6. Houston
7. Los Angeles
8. New York
2019 Title Odds
1. Houston
2. Boston
3. Philadelphia
4. Los Angeles
5. Cleveland
6. San Antonio
7. Miami
8. New York
Basketball Fit
1. Cleveland
2. New York
3. Los Angeles
4. Miami
5. San Antonio
6. Boston
7. Houston
8. Philadelphia
Cap Flexibility
1. Los Angeles
2. Philadelphia
3. New York
4. Boston
5. Houston
6. San Antonio
7. Miami
8. Cleveland
Draft Assets
1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. Los Angeles
4. New York
5. San Antonio
6. Cleveland
7. Houston
8. Miami
Front Office
1. Boston
2. Houston
3. San Antonio
4. Miami
5. Los Angeles
6. Philadelphia
7. Cleveland
8. New York
Youth
1. Philadelphia
2. Los Angeles
3. Boston
4. New York
5. Miami
6. Cleveland
7. Houston
8. San Antonio
Now that we know Paul George is heading back to Oklahoma City and LBJ is Hollywood bound, the next question is: Will the new-look Lakers sign DeMarcus Cousins or perhaps trade for Kawhi Leonard?