Spurs have a clear path to LeBron James' final title chase with Wembanyama

The NBA is less than 48 hours away from the start of free agency, and there are some interesting ideas for the Spurs' future out there. Some say they should sign John Collins, and others are burning a candle for Rui Hachimura, but Bill Simmons is one-upping everyone. He wants LeBron James and San Antonio to swing for the fences by joining forces for Bron's last hurrah.

Simmons points out that despite De'Aaron Fox's presence in the recent NBA Finals, the Spurs were desperately missing veteran leadership on the floor. It's hard to argue with him, considering the number of poor decisions made that cost the Silver and Black the Larry O'Brien trophy. As one of the smartest players in the history of the game, LeBron would eradicate that concern.

The Spurs will be a contender again next season, and James could be the missing link to finishing the job this time. How insane would it be for LeBron to win his last title as the megastar of the last era, while the new face of the league simultaneously wins his first? The alley-oops they'd throw to each other would be utter brilliance.

The question is how the teams would make a deal that makes sense and whether the Spurs and Lakers would finally work together on a trade for the first time in over 20 years.

Can the Spurs afford LeBron James?

The short answer is not right now, but they could. You could argue that two of the most disappointing players of San Antonio's postseason run were Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet. Well, fortunately for the Spurs, they could package those two in a sign-and-trade deal to bring James to the Alamo City. They are just two obstacles to making that happen, but difficult dealings are part of the job.

Bron has been a max player for nearly his entire career. He wouldn't be that any longer, and he'd need to accept that. But it's not like he has to play for pennies either. If he were willing to play on a $30 million contract, we'd be in business. The money works.

Last season, King James accepted falling back into a supportive role. He doesn't have to be the engine anymore, and at 41 years old, the Spurs wouldn't want him to be. Still, the old man averaged 21 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. Yeah, that will do.

San Antonio would be running a lineup of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, LeBron James, and Victor Wembanyama, with Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, Tarris Reed Jr., and Julian Champagnie coming off the bench. When Jayden Quaintance is ready, he'll add to the depth. They wouldn't even have to renounce Harrison Barnes' bird rights to pull this off.

But again, San Antonio and Los Angeles haven't been trade partners in decades, so what's in it for the Lakers? Everything they want.

Lakers need everything a deal with the Spurs would provide

Luka Doncic reportedly revealed his wishes for next season's roster to the LA front office, and one of the biggest items on the list was a real center. Not a Deandre Ayton. Luke Kornet could fill that role for Luka Magic. He's a strong screen setter and the lob threat the Lakers' franchise star desires.

But they also need wing depth, and that's where Keldon Johnson comes in. They'd likely want him to sign an extension, but that shouldn't be a problem. KJ may be a country boy right now, and he may always be one, but it's not often a player turns down the chance to spend a few years playing in Los Angeles.

Finally, they should want off of LeBron. That relationship has run its course. James reportedly asked them for a max deal, stating that if they were resistant to the idea, they'd need to tell him what their plans were for the rest of the money. They actually need to move on and commit to the Luka era, and if I had to guess, I believe that's exactly what they'd prefer doing.

If this deal went down, the money would already be set, and San Antonio's rotation would be ironclad. Winning a championship would be a matter of staying healthy, but with a team that deep and an organization famous for keeping player minutes down, I'd bet on it happening. Not a bad idea from the ol' Podfather.

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