LeBron James Recent Instagram Activity Suggests JR Smith Could Join Lakers Soon
By Scott Rogust
Ahead of the restart of the 2019-20 season, the Los Angeles Lakers received news that guard Avery Bradley won't be joining them in the bubble at Walt Disney World to protect his son's health. Shortly after that news broke, reports indicated that the Lakers were interested in signing JR Smith to replace Bradley for the upcoming playoff run.
It appears that LeBron James is fully on board, based off his latest social media activity. On an Instagram post showing Smith's workout on a practice court, James supported his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate in the comments section.
Oh yeah, it's all coming together.
Smith hasn't played in the NBA since 2018, following his nasty divorce from the Cavaliers organization. He's worked out for multiple teams since, including the "Lake Show" this past March. If anyone knows what Smith can bring to a team, it's LeBron.
Free agent guard JR Smith has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Avery Bradley on the Lakers roster, sources tell @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/ZpXVv8rWkJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2020
While everyone attributes the Cavs winning their first-ever NBA Championship in 2016 to the play of James, Smith deserves some credit. During that championship run, Smith averaged 11.5 points and 3.2 rebound, while shooting 43.6% from the field and 43% from three-point land.
The Lakers report to the Orlando bubble on July 9, so you can expect a decision to be made regarding Smith in the coming days. From the sounds of it, Smith has a high probability of donning the purple and gold later this summer to help James win his fourth career NBA title.