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OKC Thunder: How the LeBron James – Russell Westbrook experiment could work

By Gideon Lim

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 13: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game on February 13, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 13: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder defends LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game on February 13, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder - LeBron James, Russell Westbrook
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 18: Russell Westbrook #0 and LeBron James #23 of Team LeBron looks on against Team Curry during the NBA All-Star Game as a part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at STAPLES Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With LeBron James on the precipice of the Decision III, the OKC Thunder remain a dark horse candidate. The question is could the King and Brodie co-exist?

Behind the usual media circus, there have been rumblings of OKC Thunder making a play for LeBron James. From the King’s standpoint, the question is, can a partnership between him and Russell Westbrook really work out?

This is the most magical part of the NBA season. With Golden State’s customary romp to the title out of the way, and Draft-day scramble done and dusted, OKC Thunder fans can now get down to the most imaginative part of their fan experience.

LeBron James is officially on the prowl for a new superstar squad to challenge the Warriors. And that has left OKC Thunder fans fearing the worst. Now that Kawhi Leonard has hit the market, Paul George looks more likely than ever to fulfill his dream move to the Lakers.

But, Sam Presti’s impeccable record for surprises has kickstarted a rumbling question around the league –  could OKC somehow be a contender to sign LeBron?

The odds are stacked heavily against Presti. The Thunder don’t have the cap space to sign LeBron James outright. And perhaps more fundamentally, LeBron and Westbrook’s game look too congruent to be complementary to each other.

In this article, we break down why a potential partnership between the two future Hall of Famers is more possible than people imagine. We start by carving out a roadmap for Sam Presti.

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