76ers and Lakers Could Reportedly Explore LeBron James-Ben Simmons Trade
By Michael Luciano
Could the Jeanie Buss/Kurt Rambis clown show in Los Angeles actually move on from LeBron James after just one season? It sounds too ridiculous to be true, but the Lakers might actually hit the reset button.
With the Lakers becoming a full-on joke with the hiring of Frank Vogel after lowballing LeBron's preferred option in Tyronn Lue, the team could potentially discuss a swap for Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons, according to the latest buzz.
What do the 76ers do now?
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 13, 2019
On Brett Brown’s future, the Jimmy Butler/Tobias Harris situation and a potential Ben Simmons-LeBron trade that some league circles expect to be explored this summer. I get into all that here: https://t.co/7lAceRaSOZ
While it's fun to imagine, and would totally shift the paradigm of the league in an hour, there are two major obstacles to this deal. First, is LeBron just going to leave Los Angeles considering all of the business ventures he has tied up in Hollywood? Probably not, though he does not have a no-trade clause.
Second, Magic Johnson's shambolic roster construction left the team without a ton of shooters. Adding literally the worst shooting guard in the league would help continue the Lakers' dive into the basement.
Ben Simmons had more turnovers than field goals 3 times against the Raptors (Games 2, 5, 7).
— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) May 13, 2019
He did not attempt a single shot outside the paint during the series.
If the Lakers cut bait with LeBron for a guy with a mental block that can't shoot and shrunk in the playoffs after just one season, there might be full on panic in the streets of LA.