Lebron James Network: What if LeBron James actually leaves the Lakers?

Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill and NBA contributor Tom Haberstroh discuss whether the Lakers star would actually leave Los Angeles and all the ramifications that come with the decision. Hear the full conversation on "Good Word with Goodwill" - part of the "Ball Don't Lie" podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

With JJ Redick in L A.

Are you, are you 100% sure that lebron James is gonna sign ther e?

100% sure because JJ Redick has to be positive.

If he's gonna take that job, that lebron's gonna be there.

And I got a feeling if a team that kind of is on lebron's radar takes Ronnie James in the draft, whether it's Dallas Miami Golden State teams that have like a little bit of like, hm, man, I'm coming up on 40 here.

I want to play with my son and I kind of wanna check off that box play with Steph, go back and finish things right with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat and go play with Spo who I've been like gassing up on the podcast for a while.

I feel like this is a potentially for a disaster if JJ Redick is going to that Lakers job without knowing 100% that lebron is gonna be there with this Ronnie James thing overhead, this is gonna be spicy, very spicy.

And even if lebron is there, Vinnie, it's gonna be spicy.

Look.

Hey, you said a lot like you know what I remember, I remember Byron Scott taking the Cleveland Cavaliers job in 2010.

Not knowing if lebron was going to come back newsflash.

He didn't, I don't think lebron is leaving LA.

I think his power base is with that franchise.

I don't think that power base would be anywhere else in the league.

And I don't think that winning is lebron's only vice.

I don't think lebron would do that to his new podcast partner.

I really don't, I don't think lebron would do that to his podcast partner, but, but he would, he do that to his son.

So if he's picking between playing with his son or JJ Reddick, he's gonna pick his son.

Like if Bronnie goes to San Antonio, does that get a little bit more interesting in lebron james' decision making if he can play with Pop and wem be and be able to kind of be the mentor for wem be for a year or two with Ronnie James there.

I just think that it is a nonzero chance that lebron James is back.

I think he's gonna be back.

I think it's the odds on favorite that he's gonn a be back with the Lakers, but I'm just throwing it out there.

Jay Kidd is the head coach.

You've always wanted to play with Luca.

It kills him.

He, he cusses on the podcast because he misses Kyrie so much.

And if Ronnie James goes to Dallas, oh, and you want to own a franchise in, uh, Vegas and the Adelson family who just bought the team in Dallas had a lot of ties to Vegas and you might be able to, you know, create some more business partners in the Vegas epicenter there with the ownership now in place with Dallas.

I don't know, just saying, it just seems like that would be a pretty cool situation for lebron.

I don't know if he goes there if they win a championship but if they don't win a championship and they draft Ronnie James, I think this is, gets a lot more interesting.

I had never even given that a first thought, let alone a second thought until you just brought it up and hopefully, I don't give it a third thought when we get o ff this podcast.

I'm not trying to entertain that.

I think lebron will wind up staying.