Lakers Trade Pitch Flips LeBron James for $176 Million West Superstar.

he Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to re-sign LeBron James should he opt out of the final year of his contract, but a sign-and-trade deal may make sense for the right player.

Bill Simmons of The Ringer concocted a long-shot pitch on the Friday, May 25 edition of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” in which the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers construct a double sign and trade that moves James across town to the Clips and brings Paul George back to the Lakers.

“Here’s the solution for all of us for Paul George — a double sign and trade,” Simmons said. “LeBron gets to stay in L.A., but he goes to the Clippers to open the new stadium and finish his career there. Paul George gets to finally play with the Lakers after it was blocked by [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver a couple years ago … and it gets to be him and A.D. [Anthony Davis] and JJ Reddick, and we’re off. It’s a new era for the Lakers.”