LeBron James jersey sales booming after Lakers signing

The Lakers have added several players since signing James, including Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, and Lance Stephenson.

A shocking one-year deal for DeMarcus Cousins fits that bill and makes the Warriors even stronger - Steve Kerr can now call upon five All-Stars in his starting lineup. If it's up to Dwight Howard, that might be the case.

That would turn him into a free agent, and he reportedly has eyes on going to the Lakers to play with James. But the Lakers need a center and nearly the entire regime (from the players to the coaching staff to the front office) is now different from when Howard played there. Selling free agents on the franchise's long-term vision would be a lot easier in 2019 with two top-10 players on the roster.

During four seasons at South Beach, James and co won two championships before the OH native made a decision to return home to help the Cavaliers win a title.

The Lakers have the salary-cap flexibility to become a behemoth once more, with James a huge pull for other stars wanting to challenge the Warriors' empire and attempt to upset the status quo.

Last season in Charlotte, Howard averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 55.5% from the field.

"The one thing that I've always done is consider my family, understanding especially where my boys are at this point in their age", James announced after the Cavaliers' June 8 loss. Maybe that means trading for Kawhi Leonard or taking another chance on Howard in hopes that he can contribute to a championship contender.

Three hours after the jerseys went live, Fanatics had already seen a 600% spike in sales compared to the same period when James announced his return to the Cavaliers before the 2014 National Basketball Association season, the retailer said. The four-year, $153.3 million contract offer from Los Angeles carries with it the championship opportunities that come with the way management does business.

Before Sunday's announcement regarding James, George had agreed to a multi-year contract with the Thunder and the likelihood of the Lakers landing Leonard in a trade from the Spurs appeared to be dwindling.