"The Lakers are FOREVER gonna be Kobe's and Magic's team", Embiid wrote, referring to Kobe Bryant and Johnson. This is a match made in hoop and hoopla heaven.

Cavs general manager Koby Altman spoke to both Rich Paul and LeBron James over the phone at 12:01 a.m., sources tell ESPN.

However, the Lakers are the clear front runner to land James, even after Paul George chose to re-sign with the Thunder, and their publicly aggressive pursuit of Kawhi Leonard only makes that eventuality more likely.

If the goal is to be the dominant force in the Eastern Conference for years to come, the Sixers' best bet might be to continue development and make some smaller moves on the free-agent market. But there are no guarantees, and surprisingly, it seems that James is okay with that. There was no indication of whether the Lakers planned to give him any say over the roster, but that could be an important factor given that LeBron ended his free agency in less than 20 hours and could help shape the team's strategy going forward.

There's a danger in waiting, as the Lakers just saw. He played in all 82 regular-season games and then somehow carried a team that underwent several transformations to a fourth straight conference title and matchup against the Warriors.

The Lakers would need to go to work in replacing their talented big man and leading scorer last season. Their winning percentage over the past half decade:.307.

LeBron's move to Los Angeles sucks for other up-and-coming Western Conference teams as well.

James also got a welcome from Lonzo Ball.

LeBron James is leaving home for Hollywood and an iconic team.

Last season, the 33-year-old James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 82 games.

James will face plenty of pressure to bring the Lakers their 17th National Basketball Association title. And while he has always been compared to Michael Jordan, Johnson is the one whose game more closely resembles his own. According to Real GM's Keith Smith, the Lakers are projected to have $46.82 million in room.

Unlike his two previous forays in free agency, James did not drag out his decision and made the announcement less than 24 hours after National Basketball Association free agency opened. James will not attend this meeting.

It all adds up to James bypassing the Sixers for the land of purple and gold. This goodbye will be full of disappointment, but it doesn't figure to enrage Northeast Ohio this time. And the Lakers have lured another superstar to town.