Could a player like Marvin Bagley be enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland?
After the Cleveland – Boston trade, there was a lot of chatter and debate about the question: “how good will that Nets pick be?”
Right now, the Nets are 8-13, ranked around #7 or #8 in the draft race, which is about what you’d expect for a well-coached but young team. Of course, the standings themselves won’t mean everything, because that can all change with a ping pong ball. According to tankathon, the Cavs (via Brooklyn) have around a 12.5% chance of landing in the top 3, and 3.5% chance of landing at # 1 overall.
If the Cavs end up jumping into that top 3, would that compel LeBron James to stick around Cleveland? Reddit loves them some Luka Doncic of course, but the college game is featuring some stunning talents as well in Duke FC Marvin Bagley (22.3 points, 11.1 rebounds) and Arizona C DeAndre Ayton (19.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks).
From the limited amount of time I’ve seen Bagley, I’ve been stunned by his fluidity given his size. The thought of him at “center” with LeBron at the 4 would be a run-and-gun, rim-protecting nightmare for any team, including Golden State. The team could then swap out Kevin Love for a perimeter piece and more shooting, and give the Warriors a legitimate run for their money (depending on how quickly someone like Bagley develops.)
But what do you think? What’s the better landing spot for LeBron if he wants to win in the long term? Cleveland (with a top 3 pick) or the Lakers?
