Chris Mannix’s NBA Notes: Could LeBron James’s Next Team Include Anthony Davis?

The NBA’s free agency is in full swing with some big swings (Ja Morant to Portland), some intriguing decisions (Atlanta declining Jonathan Kuminga’s team option) and some interesting team-player showdowns (Jaylen Brown in Boston, Jalen Duren in Detroit) in the days ahead.

LeBron is moving on

Call it a mild surprise: LeBron James’s agent, Rich Paul, alerted the Lakers on Tuesday that James would be playing elsewhere next season, ESPN reports, ending his eight-year run with the franchise. Internally, the Lakers had been preparing for this. They declined to offer James an extension last summer and have been transparent that all decisions will be made with maximizing Luka Dončić in mind. When I asked several Lakers officials if they were surprised by James’s, er, decision, all responded the same: No.

Where will LeBron land? Golden State appears to be a strong early favorite. Draymond Green opting out of his contract increased the Warriors’ flexibility, and while Kristaps Porziņģis’s two-year, $40 million deal (who were they bidding against for that) took the $15.1 million midlevel exception out of play, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, there are certainly salary cap gymnastics Golden State can do to clear room to pay James. Don’t forget: James and Green share an agent, Paul. None of these moves happen in a vacuum.

Another Paul client: Anthony Davis, who is supposedly on Golden State’s wish list. Are the Wizards even willing to trade Davis? Davis, as I’ve reported in the past, wasn’t thrilled with being traded to Washington and even with AJ Dybantsa on board Davis knows the Wiz are a long way from contention. Still, he has two full years left on his contract (the final a $62.8 million player option) and Washington has telegraphed that they are comfortable with Davis going into this season.

Could that change? It depends on a Golden State offer, I guess. The Warriors could throw the full Giannis Antetokounmpo package (Jimmy Butler and a bunch of picks and swaps) at the Wizards. And they may have to. Washington made the deals for Davis and Trae Young last season so they could make the pivot from rebuilding to contending for something. They have a lot of leverage here. Stay tuned.

Blazers take a Ja flyer

At first blush it made little sense: Why would Portland, with its glut of guards, swing a deal for Ja Morant? It’s no secret the Grizzlies have been trying to offload Morant for months. Interest in the former All-Star—who has been plagued by injuries and off-the-court drama—had dried up, so much so there was an anticipation that Memphis could simply cut ties with Morant by releasing him. Instead, Memphis found a trade partner in Portland, which sends Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Grizz for its fallen star.

Portland, I’m told, sees little downside here. The Blazers have been trying to move Grant (who is owed $70 million over the next two seasons) for a while now and Murray, a 2023 first-round pick, isn’t more than a decent role player who can’t make a three. Morant’s value has cratered but he’s 26 and may be revived with a fresh start. He won’t find a better mentor than Damian Lillard, the All-NBA guard who is expected to return to the Portland lineup next season. Plus a little star power can’t hurt when it comes time to sell tickets.

For Memphis, trading Morant ends an era that needed to end. Four years ago, Morant was the centerpiece of a team on the rise. He was the star of a 56-win Memphis team that looked poised to emerge as a consistent contender. Instead, injuries, coach clashes and Morant’s well-documented off-the-court issues torpedoed the Grizzlies’ chances. The Grizz, I believe, are less giddy about acquiring Grant and Murray than they are Morant being gone.

Detroit’s Duren Problem

I mean you knew this was coming. Jalen Duren, the Pistons’ All-NBA big man, will reportedly enter free agency with an eye toward moving on from Detroit, where he has played the last four seasons. In contract talks with the Pistons, Duren has valued himself based on his regular season (19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds). Detroit has factored in Duren’s lackluster postseason (10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds). That has left the two sides far apart.

With Duren set to meet with Sacramento this week, is his time in Detroit over? The cap-strapped Kings can’t sign Duren outright but they can send the Pistons’ ex-All-Star Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis addresses some of Detroit’s offensive issues and is a terrific rebounder. But his defensive deficiencies—most notably rim protection—have been well chronicled. My read is that Detroit still wants to find a path forward with Duren, but unless they are willing to up their offer considerably they will need to seriously consider sign-and-trade scenarios … if they aren’t already.

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