LeBron James Was Key Factor in Lakers Missing Out on 2-Time NBA Champion in 2019 Offseason: Report

Despite this, the Lakers were unable to make it out of the first round of the playoffs as they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.

Now with Doncic taking over as the leader of the team with LeBron James beside him, Los Angeles is looking to make a run at a championship this season as they look to bounce back after last season’s disappointing playoff exit.

While the Lakers are looking to make a run at a title this season behind Doncic and James, a recent report revealed that James could have had a different co-partner on the roster during the 2019 offseason.

LeBron James Played Factor in Kawhi Leonard's Decision in 2019

According to the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur, Kawhi Leonard did not want to sign with the Lakers during the 2019 offseason as he did not want to play alongside James as he instead signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“The (Toronto) Raptors believed there was a real chance he would return instead of going to the Clippers despite the lure of Leonard’s home state of California. Leonard didn’t want to play with LeBron James, so the Lakers were a third wheel in the sweepstakes,” Arthur wrote.

This is a massive report by Arthur as the Lakers were linked to Leonard during the 2019 offseason due to the star forward’s ties to Los Angeles.

Instead, Leonard shocked the NBA when he signed with the Clippers instead of the Lakers, mainly due to them fulfilling his wish of acquiring Paul Geroge to play alongside.

Of course, Leonard has dealt with a ton of injuries during his time in Los Angeles and the duo of him and George did not pan out as they had hoped.

Despite this, it is hard to assume whether the pairing of Leonard and James with the Lakers would have been able to compete for a championship together and it also might have caused Los Angeles to hold off on the trade they made for Davis, which was a major factor in them winning the title in 2020.

While it will never be known how a duo of James and Leonard would worked out, it is fair to say that the Lakers lucked out with James driving Leonard away as they were able to capture the title in 2020 and if the two-time champion was on their roster, they may never have made the move for Doncic last season.