Heading into free agency, LeBron James considered the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets.
As the Rockets are a championship contender, the 76ers and Lakers both have talented young cores. With the 76ers ahead in the rebuilding process of the Lakers, some thought they were a realistic destination with James and Ben Simmons sharing the same agent in Rich Paul at Klutch Sports.
Ultimately, James signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Lakers because he liked the challenge of ending the five-year drought and helping the storied franchise return to championship contention.