LeBron James Could Form His Superteam In San Antonio

LeBron James contract expires in 2019. So does Carmelo Anthony’s. After all the talk of forming a superteam, could it happen with the San Antonio Spurs?

LeBron James is going to be a free agent in the summer of 2019 along with Carmelo Anthony, or 2018 if they decline their player options. In 2018, his friends, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are going to be free agents. As King James Gospel‘s Aaron Ferguson alluded to earlier, the four could join forces with the San Antonio Spurs.

Starting with Wade and Paul, the chance for LeBron to build his superteam relies on his friends choosing to play for one of three NBA franchises: the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. These teams will all have the necessary cap space to accommodate four marquee names.

In 2019-2020, as the NBA salary cap is expected to rise to over $102 million, these three teams will have about $80 million to spend in the summer of 2019.

The Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs each team will already boast an All-Star level talent on the roster when the Superteam arrives. In Phoenix, Brandon Knight will still be under contract for one more year and Devin Booker, who has been praised by LeBron, will be a restricted free agent.

In Sacramento, Willie Cauley-Stein can be an elite rim-protector in the mold of Tyson Chandler. In San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard will be in his ninth NBA season and 28 years old, in the prime of his career.

The coaches will be set as well. Earl Watson will be coaching the Suns and Dave Joerger will be coaching the Kings. However, in the event that either Watson or Joerger is fired, a very good young coach in Brad Stevens will be available in the summer of 2018 as well. Gregg Popovich will be the coach of the San Antonio Spurs until he, or the Spurs’ franchise, decides it’s time for him to name his successor.

Out of the three possible cities the superteam can form in, San Antonio looks like the best option. The San Antonio Spurs have Leonard, Popovich, and a history of maximizing the talents older players while minimizing the amount of mileage they put on their legs.

Realistically, Paul could sign a three-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2018 as Tony Parker’s contract expires then and he’s hinted at retiring after that. Meanwhile, Wade could sign a two-year deal with the Spurs as well.

Under Coach Popovich, these two would thrive in roles similar to the ones that Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, who could retire after this season at 39 years old, have had in recent years.

In 2019, as LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green‘s contracts with the team expire, LeBron and Anthony can both sign two-year or three-year deals of their own.

Both James and Anthony will be able to thrive in the roles of departed Spurs players as well. James is a cerebral forward who impacts the game on both ends with physical and mental prowess as well as shooting range and low-post play.

Although Anthony is still willing to bang down low in the post as he tries to bully his way inside he’ll remain a catch-and-shoot specialist, much like he is in Olympic competition.

By replacing Parker with Paul, Green with Anthony, Ginobli with Wade, and Aldridge with James, the San Antonio Spurs wouldn’t skip a beat. They’d only get better.

The 2019-20 San Antonio Spurs squad will be position-less, a hallmark of James’ teams this decade. His positional versatility allows teams to fit the most talented players around him, especially in the starting lineup.

The team’s primary rotation features Paul and Dejounte Murray, who is currently a rookie, at point guard. Paul is a traditional point guard that will open up the floor for the rest of his teammates with his vision. Murray is a 6-foot-5 scoring point guard in the mold of Austin Rivers.

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On the wings, Leonard and James will flank Paul. Leonard and James will be the best backcourt duo in the league. James is an all-around offensive force who is able to dominate defensively and Leonard is a lockdown perimeter defender who is able to dominate offensively. Wade would come off the bench and add another ball-handler, facilitator, and scorer to the backcourt.

When analyzing the potential frontcourt duo, Anthony will be sizzling hot in catch-and-shoot situations as he made 38.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-point opportunities last year. Anthony is also a solid low-post scorer as well. For the San Antonio Spurs, the center position is highly important because the team needs a rim-protector.

Currently the team has 7-footer Dewayne Dedmon. Dedmon has averaged 0.8 blocks per game over his three-year career while playing 12.2 minutes per game.

One other notable player who may be on the Spurs roster is J.R. Smith. Smith has unofficially RSVP’d for the team, but looking at the lack of elite shooting that will be available on the roster Smith’s signing should become official. Smith shot 40.0 percent from deep last year and that shooting ability will be needed from off of the bench. The Sixth Man of the Year in 2013, Smith could legitimately win a second Sixth Man of the Year Award with this Spurs team.

The San Antonio Spurs are a feasible franchise for LeBron to start his superteam with. As he signed a contract to keep him in Cleveland for at least the next thwo years, his presence in the Land should be savored. In 2018 or 2019, when his playing career nears its inevitable end, look for LeBron to take on one more challenge as he tries to win a ring with a third franchise.

If you’d like to contact Staff Writer Quenton Albertie, follow and tweet him on Twitter @30for30albertie and follow @KJG_NBA. Let us know what you think about a possible Spurs’ superteam in the comments section.

LeBron James Could Form His Superteam With The San Antonio Spurs

By Quenton S. Albertie | Aug 25, 2016

LeBron James contract expires in 2019. So does Carmelo Anthony’s. After all the talk of forming a superteam, could it happen with the San Antonio Spurs?

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