ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said on Tuesday that the Cavaliers, Heat, and Sixers "seem" to be at the top of the list for LeBron James' next team. That doesn't mean the Denver Nuggets still aren't in play, though, and they can offer the 41-year-old something those three teams can't — a shorter flight to Los Angeles (and Arizona!).
Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote on Tuesday that LeBron's family is "expected to remain" in LA (subscription required), highlighting the importance of the two-hour, 15-minute flight. He could fly to Los Angeles and back from Denver in the same time it would take to go from Cleveland, Miami, or Philadelphia to LA one way.
For the family man that LeBron is, that holds weight. Not only would he be closer to his home base, but playing in Denver would also mean a short flight to Arizona, where his youngest son, Bryce, is. It would be more feasible for him to sneak away to catch a game or two than it would be for him on the East Coast. Unfortunately, the Wildcats won't play Colorado in Boulder next season (the flight to Provo to watch them play BYU would be short!), but the point still stands.
LeBron wouldn't be far from his family if he chose the Nuggets
The obvious reason for James to choose Denver is that it'd give him a real shot at winning another title, but this time, with Nikola Jokić. If his decision is centered around what makes him happy, that has to be up there. The Nuggets don't have much to offer financially, as in just the veteran's minimum, but it could pay off for LeBron in other ways, and one of those is being close to his family.
One of the cons of playing in the NBA is that you sacrifice so much time away from your loved ones, something LeBron has done for two-plus decades. He knew that not re-signing with the Lakers would mean even less time with his family, but making the move to the Nuggets would make that a little easier.
Denver can't offer LeBron the chance to run it back and end his career where it started as Cleveland can, or the chance to return to the team he already won two titles with like Miami, or the opportunity to join the new-look Sixers like Philadelphia can, but between its location and Jokić, don't sleep on the Nuggets.
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