Brian Windhorst Links LeBron James, Cavaliers in Potential Lakers Trade Scenario

The Los Angeles Lakers enter NBA free agency looking to upgrade their roster around Luka Doncic to try and compete for a championship next season.

Of course, the Lakers finished last season fourth in the Western Conference standings before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers will now try to upgrade their roster around Doncic this offseason thanks to their cap space as they look to return to being championship contenders.

Los Angeles has already made one major move this offseason as ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract, locking him in alongside Doncic in the backcourt.

Now the Lakers will look to address other areas of need on their roster this offseason, especially their frontcourt, and they also have to make a decision on LeBron James’ future with the franchise with him being an unrestricted free agent.

Brian Windhorst Floats LeBron James-Cavaliers Trade Scenario

With James’ future with the Lakers in question and with Los Angeles in desperate need of a starting center, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently linked the future Hall of Famer to one of his former teams.

Windhorst appeared on ESPN Cleveland Tuesday where he outlined a potential trade scenario that would send James back to the Cleveland Cavaliers while Jarrett Allen would head to Los Angeles.

“There is a thought process out there in Los Angeles and I think if the Cavs were interested the Lakers would sit up in attention right now,” Windhorst said. “That they would sign-and-trade LeBron for Jarrett Allen. The Lakers would kill for Jarrett Allen.”

While this is an interesting scenario proposed by Brian Windhorst, it could benefit both the Lakers and Cavaliers.

For the Lakers, moving on from James would allow them to fully build around Doncic and Reaves and sending him to the Cavaliers for Allen would give them a much-needed starting center.

Allen would provide the Lakers with a great rebounder and defender in the paint while also giving Doncic a lob threat similar to those he had during his time with the Dallas Mavericks.

On the other side, the Cavaliers would reunite with James for potentially his final season in the NBA, pairing him alongside Donvan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley, which could propel Cleveland to the top of the Eastern Conference as they chase a championship.

While this move could work out well for both franchises, there have been reports that the Lakers are interested in bringing James back next season while the Cavaliers have shown little interest in moving on from Allen this summer.