Lakers: Trading LeBron James To Big-Market East Team Could Land All-Star In LA

Would LA bite on a timeline reset?

Since inking his two-year, $97 million contract extension in the offseason, James has been vocal about his frustration with his supporting cast. That deal makes him unmovable through the rest of this season, but LA could flip him in the summer. Because he's still such a massive star, the Lakers would probably only want to move James if he himself demanded to be dealt. James seems to enjoy living in LA, his family is doing well (both James sons are thriving on the basketball team in Chatsworth's Sierra Canyon School), and he is expanding his entertainment empire with Spring Hill Entertainment and Uninterrupted gaining steam.

But James also wants to win. And if he doesn't think the Lakers are equipped to do that, he may ultimately decide to be sent to a team he thinks can put him in a better position to do that as he nears the end of his historic league tenure.

Sean Deveney of Heavy.com postulates that a trade to the Chicago Bulls could benefit both LeBron James in the short-term and the Lakers in the long-term. A Western Conference executive spoke to Deveney on background about a potential Bulls fit.

“They’d be a darkhorse for me in this just because they have [maximum-salaried shooting guard] Zach [LaVine] and he could be a star for the Lakers, even if they would not be that good of a team. LeBron has always had a soft spot for Chicago, so it could work, and he could play with [DeMar] DeRozan, maybe Lonzo [Ball] if he is healthy. It would be an interesting mix.”

A LaVine and Anthony Davis core obviously would be tantalizing (and LaVine, though he is max-salaried, is a bit cheaper than the far more senior James), but would also be a major injury risk, due to both players' history of lower leg issues.