LeBron James’ next stop is still being debated, and Denver has a case that goes beyond basketball. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Tuesday that the Cavaliers, Heat and Sixers “seem” to be at the top of the list for James’ next team, but the Nuggets remain in the mix for a reason those other clubs can’t match: proximity.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Tuesday that James’ family is “expected to remain” in LA, which makes travel a real factor. From Denver, the trip to Los Angeles is short enough that James could make the round trip in the same amount of time it would take to get from Cleveland, Miami or Philadelphia to LA just once. For a player who has spent more than two decades balancing NBA life with family life, that matters.
Denver also gives James easier access to Arizona, where his youngest son, Bryce, is. That would make it more realistic for him to slip away and catch a game or two than it would be if he were based on the East Coast. The Wildcats won’t play Colorado in Boulder next season, though the flight to Provo for a game against BYU would be a short one.
Of course, the basketball side of the equation is there too. If James wants a real shot at another title, pairing with Nikola Jokić in Denver is a compelling path.
The Nuggets can only offer the veteran’s minimum, so the money isn’t the draw. But the combination of Jokić and location gives Denver something to sell.
That’s the tradeoff for James. Cleveland can offer the chance to return to where it all started.
Miami can offer a reunion with the team he already won two titles with. Philadelphia can offer the new-look Sixers.
Denver can’t match those angles, but it can make life a little easier off the court while still giving James a chance to chase one more ring.
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Nuggets And Peyton Watson Are Suddenly At A Serious Crossroads
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Christian Brauns extension has already helped set the market inside the building, but the two sides still have not found common ground. For Denver, the challenge is balancing that internal benchmark against what Watsons camp believes he should command, and the longer the stalemate lasts, the more the situation starts to feel like one that could force the Nuggets into a tougher decision than they expected. [Read more 🡒]
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This offseason has already chipped away at that progress, and the concern is no longer theoretical. Denver has added some new faces, but the broader picture is still unsettled, with the team trying to piece together enough dependable depth to avoid sliding back into the same old problem. The Nuggets can see the outline of a workable second unit, but they are still waiting to find out whether it will actually hold together once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron Is Overlooking One Obvious Championship Fit
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For Denver, the more interesting part is the basketball case that keeps coming up even without a formal mutual courtship. Nikola Jokics playmaking would give James the kind of connective star he has rarely had, and the Nuggets spacing around Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Jokic would make life easier on a roster built to keep the floor open. Add in a team anchored by a center who is there almost every night, and it is easy to see why some around the league think the Nuggets would have been worth a harder look. [Read more 🡒]