It’s no secret that LeBron James can opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2018.

No secret, either, that the Oklahoma City Thunder have Paul George on a one-year rental. Or that one of the NBA’s best players, DeMarcus Cousins, is with a franchise that looks, at best, several years away from contending in the Western Conference. Or that John Wall becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019.

You can look up all of those things, aside from a little subjectivity concerning the New Orleans Pelicans. Maybe Cousins and Anthony Davis’ superstar combination can lift the Pelicans out of a division with the Spurs and Rockets. Maybe Wall and the Wizards make the leap this year to become a true contender for a championship. Maybe the Cavaliers work out a stable front office, bring in better help for James and Kyrie Irving and beat the Warriors for the second time in three years, and James commits to playing out his career in Ohio.

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If none of those things happen, then Bill Simmons has a theory. On the latest edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the great sportswriter raises the idea that everyone mentioned above packs his bags and, like the Joad family, heads west in search of the goldrush.

“What if I told you that 12 months from now, LeBron James, Paul George, John Wall, and Boogie Cousins will all be on the Los Angeles Lakers together?” Simmons asks. “Conspiracy Bill has some things that he doesn’t like about what’s going on. I think the LeBron James–L.A., he hasn’t come out and denied it. Everyone’s talking about it in the league, it became public last month. He knows they’re talking about it and hasn’t said anything. Hasn’t said, ‘This is ridiculous. I’m so tired of hearing this. I want to finish my career in Cleveland.’”

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Simmons explains further: “So, John Wall, represented by Klutch — Rich Paul — LeBron’s buddy. LeBron, it’s pretty clear he either owns Klutch or funded it or has a stake in it. You could have John Wall and LeBron. Paul George is going to the Lakers anyway. I mean, that’s not even a secret anymore. It’s just like, they might as well start selling his jersey. And I always thought John Wall and Boogie are a team.”

You can’t help but want to watch this team play and be entertained just by the questions it raises. James and George linking up at Staples Center seems plausible but with Wall eligible this summer for a supermax contract extension, would he really run his deal down in D.C.? And, holy salary cap, would the Lakers just not bother with a bench? And what happens to the rebuild with Brandon Ingram and the point guard they picked in the first round just a few weeks ago to run the offense?

Seeing what color of smoke blows out of LaVar Ball’s ears when Lonzo ends up as a backup guard would be interesting. This is supremely entertaining fantasy basketball but if it actually happens, even three quarters of it, Simmons is going to look like professional sport’s greatest savant.

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