LeBron James Would Be Foolish to Join Los Angeles Lakers Next Summer

LeBron James would be making a major mistake if he took his talents to Hollywood and joined the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014 offseason.

After the unfortunate passing of Dr. Jerry Buss, the franchise is in less capable hands and is unstable at this juncture.

There is no quick fix for this situation, even if the team’s front office is sending out signals that there is one on the horizon.

According to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN Los Angeles, the Lakers are reportedly planning for the possibility of signing both James and Carmelo Anthony to deals next summer.

That may sound great to fans and could conceivably happen on paper, but it will wind up being nothing more than a far-fetched pipe dream.

For evidence, look no further than the Dallas Mavericks' ridiculous “plan” to sign both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard this offseason.

As soon as the Clips brought head coach Doc Rivers aboard, any sliver of hope the Mavs had of pulling off the improbable was gone.

CP3 quickly renewed for five years in L.A., while D12 hardly gave the Mavs consideration and took his talents to the rival Houston Rockets.

If he even elects to exercise his early termination option in 2014, James will likely be playing the observer role that Howard took up this summer.

The four-time MVP would presumably watch and wait, surveying the landscape and seeing which franchise offers him the best chance to continue winning championships.

Should the Heat manage to pull off the three-peat next season, the Lakers' already rocky road map would be rendered useless.

James would be absolutely crazy to pass up a chance at a potential four-peat as a member of the same team, a feat only the 1959-1966 Boston Celtics were capable of accomplishing.

The two-time Finals MVP would get a crack at doing something that almost all the greats—from Michael Jordan to Shaquille O’Neal to Kobe Bryant—never could. He would join Bill Russell in that rarefied territory and forever be remembered as one of the league’s legends.

Assuming that the Heat are eventually knocked off at some point in next year’s playoffs, there is still no good reason for James to defect to Tinseltown.

The Lakers will have cap space to sign him, but there’s a good chance that Bryant—the aging superstar who will turn 36 during the 2014-15 campaign—will still be lingering around.

The Black Mamba told Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times two weeks ago that he is “ready to go for at least another three,” which would set a tentative retirement date of late-spring 2016.

James is in the midst of forging his own legacy and does not need to move across the country to help an aging star in the twilight of his career finish on a high note.

If LBJ wants to be remembered as one of the best ever, he needs to remain in Miami or return to Cleveland, where he would be the unquestioned alpha dog.

King James should not even consider the Lakers, even if all the pieces fall to make it possible.