Lakers news: Kevin Durant will consider joining LeBron James next year – Bayless
LOS ANGELES LAKERS fans were given a huge boost today after it was claimed LeBron James had attempted to recruit Kevin Durant to join him in Southern California this summer.
Basketball stars Steph Curry and Kevin Durant shoot hoops
James, 33, signed a four-year $154m deal with the Lakers on July 1, ending four seasons in Cleveland by making the switch to the Western Conference for the first time in his career.
The four-time league MVP had hoped to convince the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to join him, instantly forming a new superteam, but deals proved tricky to construct for Lakers team president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka.
It meant James has now been left to play alongside a cast of journeyman veterans like Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley as well as a relatively inexperienced core of promising youngsters, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram.
But, speaking on yesterday’s edition of Undisputed, Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless claimed the King had made a cursory effort to recruit Durant to join him.
“I was told that LeBron did contact Kevin just to make sure, because he was a free agent, unrestricted, just to say ‘hey, would you think about it [joining the Lakers]?” Bayless said.
“I was told Kevin said ‘not this time but maybe next year, let's see how it all shakes out.’
If Golden State wins again that would be a three-peat, four out of five years.
“Would that be enough for him to say ‘okay, it would be pretty cool to go to Southern California and win one with LeBron?’”
Durant, who was an unrestricted free agent this summer after opting out of his Warriors deal, opted to extend with the defending NBA champions on another short-team one-plus-one contract allowing him to enter free agency once again in 2019.
The New York Knicks, along with the Lakers, have been tipped as a potential future landing spot for the reigning Finals MVP.