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What does LeBron’s final four mean for the Pacers?

By Jonathan Matthes

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 26, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 26: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives around Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 26, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 14: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Quicken Loans Arena on December 14, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 121-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 14: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after the game at Quicken Loans Arena on December 14, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 121-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Lakers

The long-fabled, much-anticipated dream is vivid, and in Los Angeles it feels like an inevitability: LeBron James saves the Laker franchise from the wasteland of mediocrity. The warning signs are neon bright. The has two mansions there. They’ve checked out a private school there. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

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L.A. has won eight of the 11 games that they’ve played since the All-Star break, which is encouraging. Their losses have only come against good teams (Portland, Denver and Golden State). There’s a lot to like about what the Lakers are showing. I doubt just signing LeBron is going to magically usher them into the private room occupied by Golden State and Houston.

To put it quickly, the Lakers are built to take advantage of other teams’ late season swoons. The Lakers have decent talent, which is a lot more than Memphis or Orlando can say. Most of their most productive players, over the last month, have bleak to nonexistent futures with the organization. Seven Lakers have averaged 14 or more points since the All-Star weekend, four of them (Julius Randle, Isaiah Thomas, Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) aren’t viewed as integral to L.A.’s future. Two of the remaining three (Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart) have played a combined three games since the break, so the Lakers are succeeding almost entirely without them.

But, at the very least, this version of the Lakers with LeBron would be in the muck of the playoff conversation.

Of course, the plan isn’t to sign just James. He’d bring friends, and to pull it all off the Lakers would need to move some people. Like, for example, Isaiah Thomas would obviously not be welcomed back. If the Lakers do sign LeBron, it will be a busy summer for them.

Impact on Pacers

 I’ve kinda already written about this. James isn’t going to be patient to let the Baby Lakers spend two to three more years rounding into shape. He’s a win-now type guy, as he should be. A player like Lonzo Ball looks like he’s got a future, but he’s nowhere close to being an All-Star. The Lakers would need to supplement him with a player like Avery Bradley, who’s game would better compliment James and Paul George whichever star would join James in L.A. While, the Lakers have the space to sign both James and George whomever, they don’t have enough space to sign those two any other significant supplementary players. Meaning, they’ll need to open up space.

This would make the Lakers, giddy to move any albatross contracts, like the one they are paying Luol Deng. If the Pacers want to capitalize on the Lakers passion for LeBron, finding a third team to accept Deng’s final two years, should do the trick. Then Indiana could receive a player freshly relegated to the bench (like Josh Hart) or maybe even Kyle Kuzma, in the trade. Ball, might be expendable too, since he skill set doesn’t exactly mesh with LeBron’s all that well. It would all be in an effort from the Lakers to add the experience necessary to contend with Golden State and Houston, which they could do, if they can further enhance their roster.

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