NBA Notebook: LeBron's Lakers Future, CP3's Injury & What’s Going On With Zion?
With the NBA All-Star Weekend fully underway, there has already been plenty of noteworthy news from around the league with many of its top stars answering questions from the media in Cleveland.
Here are some of the top storylines from around the league with our NBA Notebook:
LeBron James Leaving Lakers Is Matter Of 'When,' Not 'If'
With the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly being in a failed situation after the Russell Westbrook trade, much of the attention surrounding the team has shifted to where LeBron James could end up playing next.
James himself even stated during his NBA All-Star Weekend media availability "the door's not closed" on him potentially finding his way back to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers once again.
“The door’s not closed on that,” James told The Athletic. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”
It's easy to see why James would be intrigued by the idea of making a return to the Cavaliers. Darius Garland has already made the All-Star leap and he's a Klutch Sports Group client that James has held a high regard for dating back to their workouts together during Garland's pre-draft process.
Factor in the Cavs having a dynamic frontcourt consisting of All-Star Jarrett Allen and rising star Evan Mobley, Cleveland finds themselves with a strong 35-23 record—ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. What Cleveland has done to build their roster since James' departure earned strong praise from their former franchise-cornerstone.
Another layer to consider in all of this is that James also stated he will do "whatever it takes" to play the final year of his NBA career with his son Bronny, who will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft as his first-year of eligibility.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James told The Athletic. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
James, who signed a two-year, $85 million contract extension back in Dec. 2020, will be a free agent after the 2022-23 season. With increasing discussion of James' departure and the further descent into failure for the team, could his Lakers tenure even come to an end as soon as this offseason via trade? Stay tuned...
Chris Paul Expected To Miss Time Due to Hand Injury
The Phoenix Suns have built on their surprise run to the 2021 NBA Finals in a major way. The 48-10 record they established leading into the All-Star break is not only the best in the league, but is also on track to set a single-season franchise-record.
The Suns almost got by entering the All-Star break with all of their starters healthy. Paul suffered yet another hand injury in Phoenix's final game before the break when attempting to execute a pass. He was since work a cast and the results of an MRI he had last week have yet to be made public.
"I always want to play. When I felt that in my hand, I was mad for all types of reasons," Paul told ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "Obviously we're not going to [rush it]. I'm going to try to heal as fast as physically possible. The second I'm able to play, I guarantee you I will be playing."
With there being a staggering 6.5 games separating the Suns from the second-place Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference standings, there's certainly room for Phoenix to rest Paul as he recovers.
"We're 48-10 and if we do miss some time I know the guys are going to hold it down," Paul said. "There's always going to be a frustration with injury. My hand surgeon is part of my family now."
Again, it still remains to be seen how long Paul will be sidelined. While he is unavailable to play, the Suns will need Devin Booker to shoulder more of the initiation load on offense—perhaps helping to solidify his candidacy for one of the All-NBA teams.
What's Going On With Zion Williamson's Injury Rehab?
Zion Williamson has yet to appear in a single game this season for the New Orleans Pelicans. The team kept it quiet that he underwent offseason surgery to repair a fractured foot. On media day, Williamson even said "I expect to be back for the first game."
Now, there is still no timetable for Williamson's return and there's even been mention of the Pelicans star potentially needing a second foot surgery. Another strange layer to the situation developed when CJ McCollum made a guest appearance on TNT during NBA All-Star Weekend.
McCollum, who is one of the Pelicans' top players and is the leader of the NBA Players Association, has yet to even speak directly to Williamson. He even went as far to say that he's unsure of what's going on but he's "gonna get to the bottom of it."
“I haven’t had conversations with him directly,” McCollum said. “I’ve spoken with some people close to him and look forward to sitting down with him sooner than later. I know about as much as you do right now, but I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”
Between the occasional rumblings of Zion Williamson wanting to end up with the New York Knicks (or at least get out of New Orleans) before even accomplishing much of substance himself, the situation has become one of the more bizarre ones in all of the NBA.
