Rich Paul: ‘LeBron’s a free agent,’ will the King leave L.A., Suns a good fit? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Rich Paul: ‘LeBron’s a free agent,’ will the King leave L.A., Suns a good fit? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

I think he is going to stay I also think declining the player option was a guarantee which is why rich is talking about him as if he already has declined it’s the biggest non story right so so him him declining the player option whether he if he wants to leave he has to do it and if he wants to stay it’s the smart thing because then he can lock in more guaranteed years and if you stay with the Lakers then lock in as many guaranteed years as you can I think he’s better off leaving I think that one of the main one of not one of yeah one of the main reasons that everyone was so certain he wasn’t leaving previously was because Brony was going to be at USC bronny is now going to be somewhere else assuming he stays in the draft or even if he doesn’t if he were to transfer somewhere so that part’s now gone from it I also think the Lakers any trust that you had in the organization has dwindled over the last few years people can say all they want about LeBron pulling all these puppet strings but oddly two of the most important ones he evidently was unable to pull he was unable to pull the higher tyo puppet string four years ago and he was unable to pull the trade for Kyrie Irving when his values at an all-time low puppet string a year and a half ago and I don’t know how LeBron feels watching Kyrie go on this playoff run I’m sure he’s happy for him because they have fixed the rift that they had and they are good friends I’m sure there’s also a little bit of gosh darn it man we could have had him for very you look back and see well that and by the way I I I will be one of the first people to put my hand up saying at the time I was skeptical of Kyrie being a part of winning basketball anywhere we argued about it all the time that’s one place I like kyri the only place Brew really liked Kyrie was the Lakers with LeBron but so to me from a basketball standpoint there are a lot of better options and from a how well is the organization run there’s probably two dozen better options in a league of two and a half dozen teams and so yeah I think he’s better off leaving I don’t think it’s what he’s likely going to do look I I agree I think he’s staying in La all right and I also think and we talked about family and stuff bronnie yes not at USC but Bryce his son isn’t playing in high school he has his younger daughter they’re settled the businesses all that you know I think he’s staying but I’m just going to look at it from a basketball standpoint like if his goal is just to win the bet the Philadelphia that’s the place he should go they’ve got the money to Max him out and with Joel embiid and Tyrese Maxi I mean LeBron would be a great fit I think if I’m the Sixers I know they’re going after Paul George I like LeBron better because they’re both older now obviously LeBron is much older than George but George gets hurt a decent amount George is even still with at LeBron’s age not as good as LeBron and I I I just think that LeBron like if I’m the Sixers I am not looking at Joel’s numerical age and saying oh we got plenty of time I’m looking at his physical health Y and I’m like we got to win now and the best place for them to win now that’s available would be LeBron and so I think they if I were LeBron I just wanted to win that’s the place to go also you could not look at if he went to Philly and won a championship no one could look at it as like Kevin Durant going to Gold St because they haven’t been past the second round with embiid all right and embiid it would take pressure off embiid to have to carry them in the playoffs take PR teach Maxi who’s still young and so and you’re in the east you would have Milwaukee and Boston pretty much to go through and so I’m not saying that’s easy but I I think the best place for him would be Philly from a basketball standpoint do you think there’s actually any leverage to becoming a free agent or is that just nothing whereas like he’s a free agent this is going to force pinka to make some moves to capitalize on the small window we have when everybody I think thinks like you think we’re families here businesses here we’re the Lakers so I want to make it clear I think the smart bet is he’s back with the Lakers I do not think it’s 100% okay and I do not I do not think he has made up his mind 100% I think that there are I I think that there are things that can happen League wide or within the Lakers that could change his opinion on it I also think that it is it is honest and it is telling that LeBron is I know some people just refuse to believe this even though everyone that seemingly is has any type of connection to LeBron’s camp or rich or anyone is saying the same thing he is not giving his input on who their next head coach should be now part of that is he just said you know what my job is here to play basketball part of that also might be because if I’m not certain I’m going to be on the team it’s kind of rude to be like here’s who the coach should be and so I so I think that there are things that can happen that could tilt this even if the smart money is on him being with the Lakers and you mentioned Philly I think that Miami or the Knicks he would be in a better position to win a championship because it is so tilted differently out east versus out west and because Miami and the Knicks have established cultures and coaches and the Lakers don’t have that right now the Lakers are on this coach Carousel we don’t know what the Supporting Cast is going to look like we don’t know what their commitment to winning right now is versus this nebulous kind of trying to play in both eras so I so I think there are it’s not Philly is I agree the best option but I thought Philly was the best option for the record when he picked the Lakers the first time five years six years ago yeah yeah I mean the Mii heat culture and and the Knicks tibs that’s a lot to get through to get to the playoffs all right so there one there’s one other team hard hard play could a bit skeptical what say you bro yeah I’m I I don’t think he’s taking the minimum to go play in Phoenix or anywhere all right now from again strictly from a basketball standpoint we know he’s got tons of money not like he has to get the extra money 50 million yeah I mean he’s got he’s a billionaire so he’s fine but basketball wise I’d love it oh I mean he he’s he answers the question the biggest question about that team was what their fourth quarter situation they were the worst fourth quarter team in the league by a healthy margin and because they didn’t have a decision maker that’s what LeBron could do is make the decision for that team look if he went to Phoenix they’d be nice so but so the here’s the problem and you’re closer to La theoretically so you see the family well but so when people talk about him going to Phoenix the the Phoenix’s roster is so poorly put together LeBron would instantly become their best option at point guard and their best option at Center yeah that’s that’s how I honest to God if you if you were to dra if you were to but they would obviously play him at Center well I mean the Lakers did for a year I mean they they they could I’m saying he would be their best option those okay sure I think in my opinion be the best option at both spots I the money thing is almost to me not the most relevant point of it the the CU I you’re talking about it as if it’s disqualifying and maybe it is but there are there are a lot of places to me that make sense for him if he wanted to take the minimum the reason Phoenix the only thing Phoenix has going for it that your independent film and Tom Cruz doesn’t have is you don’t have one of Tom Cruz’s kind of best buds that he’s never been able to work with already signed up for the film it would be if he wanted to play with Kevin Durant and you know what I mean and see what that would look like what I think is more likely given how Phoenix is run is that Phoenix is like you know what ish is like you know what I think we’re gonna get Bron LeBron pardon me let’s go ahead and spend that 22nd pick on bronie and then LeBron resigns with the Lakers and they’ve spent one of their only remaining first round picks on LeBron on uh LeBron’s son in hopes to recruit LeBron there and it doesn’t end up happening I I if he is willing to take the minimum I think we could do a list of teams BR that make more sense than Phoenix does you think he’s going to take the minimum no no but but I I’m just saying if we want to do that exercise if he were to it’s not as if the only my point is it’s not as if Phoenix the only thing working against them is the money my point is if the once we talk once we say okay he’ll take the minimum there are three or four teams that I I wouldn’t like it but Golden State makes more sense than Phoenix for the minimum right you know Dallas if they don’t win this Championship makes more sense than Phoenix for minimum you mentioned Milwaukee there’s I mean there’s a lot of places but as is guaranteed to be the case if LeBron took the minimum people would kill him on a legacy standpoint and when he takes the maximum people will kill him from a legacy standpoint people will say take less money and prioritize winning do what Durk and Tim Duncan did and if that and if he takes the minimum people say you’re stacking the deck like that is it no matter what contract I think unless he if he takes three for six 65 million I think people like that’s okay everything else will get crushed thanks for watching subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1

Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes debate on whether LeBron James will leave or stay with the Los Angeles Lakers after agent Rich Paul said that the king is a free agent. The trio then discusses whether the Phoenix Suns would be a good fit. The Suns have reportedly expressed interest in the King, hence why Bronny James could be a draft option with the No. 22 pick.

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Rich Paul: ‘LeBron’s a free agent,’ will the King leave L.A., Suns a good fit? | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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