LeBron James is in desperate need of another star to join him in Los Angeles, and not just for "Space Jam 2."
James and the Lakers drastically underperformed during his first year donning purple and gold. Despite getting off to a decent start through the first two months of the season, injuries, poor chemistry and an odd roster derailed the Lakers' season, forcing James to miss the playoffs for the first time since his second season in the league.
With a number of stars including, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving, set to hit free agency this summer, James surely will be trying to recruit some of the NBA's best to join him in Tinseltown.
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So it's only natural that when TNT cameras caught James and Durant whispering during a timeout in the Warriors' win over the Lakers, the internet went nuts.
If you ask Durant, though, the conversation was much ado about nothing. But that doesn't mean he's going to tell you what they talked about.
“Everybody wants to know what we’re talking about,” Durant said. “It wasn’t even that serious. Just laughing and joking and catching up.”
Golden State Warriors
Durant is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and many believe he'll depart the Bay Area, with the Lakers, Knicks, Clippers and Nets seen as possible landing spots.
With his offseason plans unknown, media members and fans will continue to dissect Durant's every move, and he knows that.
“Everybody is so interested, especially in LeBron. So whoever he talks to, the lipreaders are going to try to figure that out,” Durant said. “You guys are infatuated with that whole thing. It’s fun. People try to figure it out.”
It's likely that Durant and James were just catching up and not hatching some plan to revive the Lakers.
While the Lakers do have the cap space to sign a max free agent this summer, the possibility of Durant leaving the Warriors to join James and the rest of the young Lakers seems unlikely. Earlier this season, Durant called the environment around James "toxic" due to the amount of media attention the superstar commands. The two-time NBA Finals MVP also has been vocal in the past about his desire to be seen as the best player in the NBA, and while James had an injury-plagued season in LA, he's still seen as the NBA's marquee talent. Joining him to win a title in LA likely wouldn't help Durant's desire to be elevated above King James.
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If Durant does leave the Warriors, many believe he will join the Knicks, potentially along with Irving, to try to bring a title to one of the NBA's big-name franchises.
Of course, it still seems far-fetched that the 30-year-old star will leave the Warriors, especially if they win another NBA title this season. Coming back to try and four-peat seems like his best option, but there are some who can't resist the glitz of New York or LA.
But until Durant signs on the dotted line this summer, whispers about the Knicks and Lakers will continue to swirl around the Warriors star.