You’ve probably heard the rumor by now.LeBron James, who is expected to test free agency next summer, might sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.Due to the allure of Hollywood, among other business-related factors, the Lakers seem like a natural fit for James. If he decides to leave his hometown team again, Los Angeles would seemingly have to also sign another big-name free agent or two in order to sweeten the deal.Russell Westbrook and Paul George are two names that have also been linked to the Lakers. At this time, Westbrook hasn’t yet signed his super-max extension to remain in Oklahoma City and George, his teammate, is set to test free agency next summer.Therefore, could Westbrook and George play a year together with the Thunder, develop chemistry, not re-sign in OKC and both bolt to Los Angeles along with LeBron? That situation, especially since the trio of All-Stars would join a young core with the presumed cap space available, has the common NBA fan salivating.Outspoken NBA veteran Matt Barnes, who played for a handful of teams, believes that the Lakers are an ideal destination for James, as he explained on FS1's “The Herd, with Colin Cowherd”.“No better place. Yeah, no question. I think with him, he bought a big old house out in Brentwood. LA is the place to be. I heard he wants to be in management after and I think no better person in the game to help model and shape him than Magic Johnson,” Barnes said via Eric Avakian of Lakers Nation.He also thinks the entire landscape of the NBA would change if James joined the Lakers.

“Growing up being a Lakers fan even though I’m not a current Laker, you feel like the Lakers need to be up at the top just so that the NBA feels right. I mean I love what Golden State is doing and they’re an amazing team and they’re going to have a run for a while, but eventually you’d like to see the Lakers get back up there and with the young talent they have. You add this monster and it’s going to be trouble,” Barnes explained.

Ever since both president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka were hired, both men maintained that the 2018 offseason would be the main focus of the team’s short and long term growth, with the upcoming season being thought of as a developmental year for the team’s young core.

If the team is able to land James, and especially if one or both of the other two All-Stars follow him to the west coast, it’s safe to say that not only would the Western Conference become even more stacked, but the entire NBA landscape would be completely altered as a result.