• LeBron James may be the very definition of an iron man, but he won’t be able to play basketball forever. It’s no secret that the 40-year-old’s NBA career is dwindling. James hasn’t revealed how much longer he intends to to play in the league., but he has made it clear that his main goal is to compete for championships. If that truly is his desire, Stephen A. Smith believes LeBron needs to call a new team home.

For the last seven years, that home has been the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the team at a time of complacency and helped them evolve into a bona fide contender. The Lakers won an NBA championship in 2020 under his lead. Unfortunately, the team as a whole doesn’t have the talent to compete with other juggernauts in the Western Conference.

The presence of Luka Doncic certainly increases LA’s championship aspirations but doesn’t fully compensate for all the holes on the roster. Smith’s hopes for the Lakers to contend aren’t the most optimistic either.

This past offseason saw the West increase in talent, which doesn’t serve the Lakers well. In Smith’s mind, there are a few teams the Lakers won’t have a realistic chance at overcoming.

“Not with Oklahoma City. Be mindful of Dallas. Don’t dismiss Houston. Minnesota and [Anthony Edwards] already sent them home,” Smith proclaimed.

Smith didn’t even mention the Denver Nuggets, who may have built the best team surrounding Nikola Jokic. Even the Lakers’ in-city counterpart, the Los Angeles Clippers, improved with additions of Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, John Collins and Chris Paul.