A personal meeting between Los Angeles Lakers team president Magic Johnson and LeBron James may have helped seal the biggest move of the NBA offseason.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Johnson traveled to James' house in Los Angeles before James decided to sign with the Lakers:
Klutch Sports Group confirmed Sunday that James agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers.
The Lakers turned plenty of heads when they named Johnson team president and subsequently hired Rob Pelinka, who rose to prominence as an agent for a number of NBA players, including Kobe Bryant. At the time, it looked like the franchise was leaning too heavily on nostalgia and the Lakers mystique.
However, it's hard to argue with the results.
James is one of the best players in the league, but he still turns 34 in December. Sooner or later, the four-time MVP will fall victim to the aging curve, and that adds a bit of urgency for both him and the Lakers.
The fact that James felt confident in agreeing to sign with the Lakers—on a four-year deal no less—speaks to how highly he regarded the direction in which Johnson and Pelinka are taking the team.
Their next task will be selling the San Antonio Spurs on the best package they can offer for Kawhi Leonard. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Leonard still prefers a move to the Lakers.
Now that they have James on board, Johnson and Pelinka can be a little more patient in waiting out the Spurs. Trading a few promising young stars will also be more palatable when you know you're building a roster around two of the 10 best players in the NBA in James and Leonard.
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