Over the All-Star break, ESPN published an anonymous survey of 48 players trying to gauge what they think LeBron James will do in the offseason as a free agent.
Among the distinctions between questions is where they think LeBron WILL play and where they think King James SHOULD play.
There were only a couple of questions in which one answer stood apart overwhelmingly from the other options, and one of those questions was: Which coach do you think LeBron should pair up with?
The answer, of course, was Gregg Popovich as Pop got 46 percent of the vote. Tyronn Lue, the current coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers only got 18 percent of the vote, while a hodgepodge of other coaches across the league got 36 percent.
"I think he's the greatest coach of all time," James said last year. “To be able to do what he's done where the basketball has changed so much and he's been able to have a growth mindset and change with the game [is impressive].”
The only other question in which the Spurs played a major role was: Which player do you think LeBron should pair up with?
Three players got 12 percent of the vote and another three got 9 percent. Among the 9-percenters was Kawhi Leonard.
As fun as it is for people to imagine LeBron in a silver and black uniform, the math just doesn’t add up. LeBron would have to take a pay cut and the Spurs would have to get rid of a lot of guys to clear enough space.
If Danny Green (unlikely), Rudy Gay, and Joffrey Lauvergne all opt in to their player options next season, the Spurs would only have about $9 million in salary cap space. They’d have to basically hope they lose Green to free agency (clearing $10 million in cap space), not re-sign Tony Parker (who will be a free agent), and then they’d have to also either unload LaMarcus Aldridge or Pau Gasol and hope that LeBron gives the Spurs a discount.
It’s not gonna happen…
But it’s fun to think about.
