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Nine days have passed since the seismic news broke that LeBron James will leave the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball world is still waiting for him to make his decision.
James is the best remaining free agent and should be the final huge move of this already-insane NBA offseason. Even going into his 24th season, James will make a huge impact wherever he goes.
MORE: LeBron James shouldn’t sign with the Cavaliers
Over the past nine days since James announced he would depart LA, many teams have been floated as possible destinations. The updated most likely landing spots are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. Even with those teams being the favorites, it feels like more options are open.
All teams that could use James’ playmaking and postseason experience. Those teams aren’t the best fits, though. Philadelphia is the most intriguing and gives James the best chance to win out of those, but there’s one other fit that isn’t being talked about enough.
MORE: Austin Reaves admits LeBron James ‘ruined’ his day after Lakers exit
Feb 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
The best player of all-time, joining forces with the best player in the NBA today. James and Nikola Jokic would create one of the most potent offensive duos in NBA history.
Not because James will average 29 points a game, but because of his elite playmaking and his ability to get to the rim at will, even at 41 years old. The problem with the other fits like Miami and Cleveland is that those teams can’t space the floor as well as Denver can.
James is still one of the better rim finishers in the NBA, but needs spacing to create driving lanes. Jokic is one of the few bigs in the league who, no matter where he is on the court, must be accounted for.
MORE: Predicting where the top remaining NBA free agents will sign
Mar 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23). Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Denver could really use James; the Nuggets were awful when Jokic wasn’t on the court. The net on-off differential was alarming; when Jokic was on the court, the Nuggets’ offense had a 124.6 offensive rating, which is phenomenal.
Denver’s offense collapsed when the three-time MVP stepped off the court, with the offensive rating dropping to 110.6. That’s the largest difference in the NBA. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if James was running the offense while Jokic was off the floor.
The Nuggets also need another ball handler on the perimeter beyond Jamal Murray; James fulfills that role and gives Murray a chance to operate off the ball even more.
James to Denver puts the Nuggets closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Those two teams would still be the favorites, but Denver would have the top-end talent to compete with them.
Continue reading...
James is the best remaining free agent and should be the final huge move of this already-insane NBA offseason. Even going into his 24th season, James will make a huge impact wherever he goes.
MORE: LeBron James shouldn’t sign with the Cavaliers
Over the past nine days since James announced he would depart LA, many teams have been floated as possible destinations. The updated most likely landing spots are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. Even with those teams being the favorites, it feels like more options are open.
All teams that could use James’ playmaking and postseason experience. Those teams aren’t the best fits, though. Philadelphia is the most intriguing and gives James the best chance to win out of those, but there’s one other fit that isn’t being talked about enough.
MORE: Austin Reaves admits LeBron James ‘ruined’ his day after Lakers exit
LeBron James should sign with the Denver Nuggets
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Feb 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23). Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
The best player of all-time, joining forces with the best player in the NBA today. James and Nikola Jokic would create one of the most potent offensive duos in NBA history.
Not because James will average 29 points a game, but because of his elite playmaking and his ability to get to the rim at will, even at 41 years old. The problem with the other fits like Miami and Cleveland is that those teams can’t space the floor as well as Denver can.
James is still one of the better rim finishers in the NBA, but needs spacing to create driving lanes. Jokic is one of the few bigs in the league who, no matter where he is on the court, must be accounted for.
MORE: Predicting where the top remaining NBA free agents will sign
Why the Nuggets need LeBron James
You must be registered for see images attach
Mar 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23). Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Denver could really use James; the Nuggets were awful when Jokic wasn’t on the court. The net on-off differential was alarming; when Jokic was on the court, the Nuggets’ offense had a 124.6 offensive rating, which is phenomenal.
Denver’s offense collapsed when the three-time MVP stepped off the court, with the offensive rating dropping to 110.6. That’s the largest difference in the NBA. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if James was running the offense while Jokic was off the floor.
The Nuggets also need another ball handler on the perimeter beyond Jamal Murray; James fulfills that role and gives Murray a chance to operate off the ball even more.
James to Denver puts the Nuggets closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Those two teams would still be the favorites, but Denver would have the top-end talent to compete with them.
Continue reading...
