Lakers News: LeBron James Still Vying To Own Las Vegas Expansion Team, Hall Of Famer Says

The chatter continues apace!

Hall of Fame small forward Tracy McGrady, a seven-time All-Star during his years with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, revealed in a new conversation with Howard Beck of GQ that well-placed sources had informed him Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA small forward LeBron James would secure a Las Vegas-based expansion team when the time was right.

James himself has discussed an interest in ownership, and in owning a Vegas-based club specifically, in the past.

“I’ve heard that for the last three years, that it was gonna be an expansion team out here in Las Vegas,” McGrady told Beck. “I heard that LeBron James is going to be the owner of that. It’s his team. I heard it through league channels.”

It's unclear exactly when the league will expand to teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, but it's become pretty clearly recently that those are the next two markets the league will explore. Vegas for James makes sense, in large part due to its relative proximity to his current Brentwood home base. 

One wonders if, assuming James does indeed acquire majority ownership of a Vegas franchise, he will have enough gas left in the tank to play for a new franchise while owning it. The 38-year-old still performed at an All-NBA level in his 20th season. In five years, he'll probably still be able to at least contribute meaningful minutes on a playoff roster, at least barring a catastrophic injury.

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