There is a reality where LeBron James could've suited up for the Los Angeles Clippers. As ESPN's Baxter Holmes detailed, in 2022, Jeanie Buss considered not only not extending the superstar but also trading him to the Lakers' rival.
Holmes reported that Buss "began to turn" against LeBron, continuing a trend of turning against people close to her and the organization. She reportedly didn't like the superstar's "outsized ego" and the "overt control" that he and Kluth Sports "exerted over the organization at times." Buss also didn't like that he was dubbed the "savior" of the franchise when he signed with the team in 2018 and that he didn't take accountability for his role in the Russell Westbrook trade.
Buss thought about trading him to the Clippers in the aftermath of the aforementioned trade, which would've dramatically changed the course of both organizations.
Four years later, LeBron's future is once again at the center of the Lakers' franchise after he didn't sign an extension last offseason. For the first time in his career, he's on an expiring contract and could leave LA as a free agent this summer if he so chooses.
Jeanie Buss thought about trading LeBron to the Clippers
Let's take a second to imagine what the ripple effects would've been had the Lakers traded LeBron to the Clippers. For starters, it would be interesting to know what that package would've looked like, and, most importantly, if he would've been able to help lead the Clippers to the kind of success fans have yearned for.
You then have to think about it from the Lakers' perspective — would Anthony Davis have wanted to stay with the Lakers? Would they have been able to turn AD into Luka Dončić? That's enough of a possibility for them to be glad a deal didn't happen, although it's worth wondering what they would've gotten in return from the Clippers.
We can think about 'what ifs' all day about LeBron and the Clippers (how could you not when it comes to arguably the greatest player in league history?), but even though it didn't happen, Holmes' story still serves the Clippers. It's impossible not to root for the Lakers to be dysfunctional, which, with Jeanie still around, seems likely to continue.
Yes, the Clippers have problems of their own, but it's nice that the spotlight is shining brighter than usual on the Lakers, and for all the wrong reasons. The responses to this piece from LeBron and the Lakers will be a lot of fun to follow.