Nightcap Hour 2: Jaylen Brown CLIP of Calling Embiid a FLOPPER + LeBron’s Lakers ERA is OVER + Denver Nuggets ENTER the LeBron SWEEPSTAKES + Lakers SIGN Walker Kessler + Anthony Davis REACTS to Post on Rob Pelinka + Spurs LAND Tobias Harris + Celtics

**Joe Johnson** (0:01)
LeBron James, his era with the Lakers, finito. Man. After considering his option this off season, LeBron James decided to leave the franchise in favor of a new beginning. While LeBron could have received a nice contract from the Lakers, his free agency won't be solely based on finances. LeBron is seeking complete happiness with his next contract per Rich Paul. Rich added that he was 80% sure LeBron will return to the Lakers, but upon checking in with LeBron on multiple occasions over the next few weeks, Rich said that number began to slip. Once Braun decided to leave the Lakers, Rich informed the team of that decision. LeBron has instructed Rich Paul to gauge league-wide interests and come back with options before making his free agency decision. Joe, where does LeBron end up? And are you surprised?
So let's start with this first. Are you surprised LeBron is leaving the Lakers? And then you could add, where do you think he'll end up? I'm not surprised that Braun is leaving the Lakers.
I've seen this to some degree because when they were soft pedaling and getting this deal done, then you hear all these different scenarios of different teams, guys he could team up with. I figured it was Rich Paul doing, meaning just trying to gain some leverage. But then I started to see some of these moves that the Lakers have made, come on bro.
They was never trying to bring Brown back. They don't want to be stuck. They didn't want to be stuck in the past, the next two, three years at his beg and plea, Uncle Ochocinco. I'm just going to keep it real. But he's still such a high value to where, wherever he goes right now, because there is some teams, there's a few teams. I ain't going to lie, I like him to go to, that I think he can turn the landscape of the game still. At his big age, bro, I think it's a few teams that he could go to right now, Uncle Ochocinco, to where if he joined a team, you would probably make them the favorite.
What you think, Uncle Ochocinco?

**Chad Johnson** (2:02)
Listen, Uncle Joe, we knew, I like the way they said, well, LeBron's chances of going back to LA decreased. LeBron knew LA didn't want him back. Let's start there.

**Joe Johnson** (2:14)
Thank you.

**Chad Johnson** (2:16)
You know, internally, they didn't want you back. Obviously, having to defer, you would be in the third option. You don't really like that. Boom. Now, let's go to places you can play at. You say it's not a financial decision. That's also a lie. Money always comes into play when it comes to playing in your 23rd season at 42 years old. Money is very important. Or you would be playing for free. Where's the best place? What team could pay you the most? Down here in goddamn Miami.
What do you have down here in Miami?
A relationship. With who? The organization, the one that you've already played for. We got Bam, right? We got Giannis, right? It is free agency right now. We need to get some shooters. We got Tim Hardaway Jr. in. Now we're not finished continuing to construct our team, but add LeBron.
This is the best option and best place for you to be. In the East, you don't want to be in the West. We hear all this conversation, all these talks about him playing in Golden State with Steph and Draymond. Listen, y'all want to play together? In the offseason, y'all go play at the goddamn Summit in New York.
Okay, you can have fun doing that. What you don't want to do is you don't want to go to Golden State and talk about, oh, this is going to be my last run and have to deal with the Spurs, have to deal with the Nuggets, and have to deal with the goddamn Thunder. That's not what you want. At 42 years old, you want to come on down here to the East, even though they improved, but it's the easiest route for a team that can contend that you can come to with Bam Yonesson, the Harderweight Junior, and what are the assets we build and get in this all-season during free agency. That just makes the most sense.
You want to be happy?

**Joe Johnson** (3:56)
How could you not be happy in Miami?

**Chad Johnson** (3:58)
No taxes, South Beach. What we talk about, Cuban food, soul food, you familiar with everything. I'm sure you might have some businesses out here. I'm out here.
We got, Joe, we got toosies.

**Joe Johnson** (4:14)
Hey, he trying to make my ex sound like she just so bad. It was like, I just need to go back. I've already been there, man.