Here are the NBA players we're picking to appear alongside LeBron James in 'Space Jam 2'

It’s official, “Space Jam 2″ is coming in July 2021 and LeBron James is starring. That leaves one big question: Who will the Los Angeles Lakers superstar be saving?

As any basketball fan who grew up in the 1990s can tell you, “Space Jam” revolves around the incredible concept of aliens stealing the talent of five NBA stars and a single superstar having to win their talent back. In the original “Space Jam,” that five was composed of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues and Shawn Bradley. An interesting mix for sure.

With a new “Space Jam” upon us, you have to figure the sequel will follow the format of the original. That naturally means we have to pick out the five players we think will be getting their talent stolen and turned into the iconic Monstars. Here is our best effort.

The rules of our Space Jam draft

First, a primer. The object of this exercise is to determine the players we think are most likely to be picked by James, SpringHill Entertainment and Warner Bros. to be included in “Space Jam 2.” That doesn’t mean we are trying to draft the best players. Rather, it is a mix of their star power, how interested we’d be in them as a movie character and their relationship with James (sorry, Draymond Green).

So, for example, while Stephen Curry is an obvious superstar, it’s also hard to imagine arguably the biggest adversary of James’ career taking part in the movie, especially when he already has a production company of his own. Funnily enough, we actually ended up not selecting any members of the Warriors’ current starting five, which would have made for a good Monstar lineup by itself in another world.

Without further ado, here’s how the draft played out:

Space Jam draft: Round 1

1.1) Kyrie Irving: The hands-down No. 1 choice in this draft for me. A relationship with James that seems to be fully repaired after a public falling out. A star-level player likely to land in a huge market this offseason. Movie experience with Uncle Drew. It doesn’t get any more straightforward than this. – Jack Baer

1.2) Anthony Davis: There are several key factors for picking a Monstars team. Being a star and close to LeBron certainly doesn’t hurt, but I think a truly great option will have a signature look. A hulking Monstar with a unibrow would just be fantastic, and there’s a solid chance Davis is playing alongside LeBron sooner rather than later anyway. – Ben Weinrib

1.3) Jimmy Butler: To start, I feel I should open up about my strategy. Where you’ll notice my colleagues took legitimately good players, I only drafted using two criteria: 1) Would they work well as Monstars? 2) Do they fit into the story of “Space Jam 2” from a narrative perspective.

That’s why I chose Butler with my first pick. He forced himself out of Minnesota, cursed out his teammates and told fans to boo him. Butler willingly cast himself as the No. 1 villain in the NBA earlier this season. He’s the embodiment of a Monstar. – Chris Cwik

Space Jam draft: Round 2

2.1) Zion Williamson: Maybe I’m giving in to the lure of one of the most electric freshman years in college basketball history, but you have to think that everyone is going to want a piece of Zion when he declares for the draft this spring. There’s a good chance that includes James, who has already gone out of his way to watch Williamson in person. Imagine, a Charles Barkley-sized Monstar that can jump through the roof. – JB

2.2) James Harden: The Houston Rockets superstar would make a fantastic Monstar because it’s so easy to imagine a cartoon caricature of him with the big beard. As further proof that LeBron wants him, he drafted almost every impending free agent in the All-Star draft, with the exception of passing on Kemba Walker to take Harden. – BW

2.3) Dwyane Wade: Wade will present a call to action for James to take on the Monstars. We know Wade and James are extremely close, so Wade losing his talent will give James the motivation he needs to face the Monstars. It also gives Warner Bros. a reason to work the banana boat into the movie. – CC

Space Jam draft: Round 3

3.1) Ben Simmons: This one felt pretty obvious to me. Simmons is a brilliant young player who is only going to become bigger as we wait for this movie to come out. LeBron has a strong relationship with him as evidenced by calling him “My guy” during the All-Star draft and battering Giannis Antetokounmpo into trading the Philadelphia 76ers star right after missing him. And they share an agent in Rich Paul. Easy money. – JB

3.2) Isaiah Thomas: Sure, Thomas has missed most of the last two seasons due to injuries, but he’s back now, and the fans love him. Although he’s six inches taller than Muggsy Bogues, Thomas is such an obvious fit to replace him as the red Monstar. Thomas was James’ teammate for part of a season, but let’s forget how that ended. – BW

3.3) Dirk Nowitzki: Look, I just want to see Dirk in “Space Jam 2.” He comes off as a delightful guy and I want to see him take those talents to the big screen. Also, my Monstars team desperately needs size. – CC

Space Jam draft: Round 4

4.1) Kawhi Leonard: A lot depends on where he lands in free agency this summer, but Leonard seems like a beautiful fit for the big screen in the context as a defensively focused Monstar with hands the size of a sedan and a quiet, almost haunting demeanor. Leonard has obviously tried to join James in the past and this represents an obvious chance to work together. – JB

4.2) Candace Parker: It seems somewhat likely that “Space Jam 2” will include a WNBA player, and if not, it should. Parker is a great option for several reasons. For one, she shares an L.A. connection with LeBron, and she’s also one of the most well-known players with two MVP awards. As a fellow former No. 1 overall pick and league champion, this one is a slam dunk. – BW

4.3) Lonzo Ball: The Monstars exist to create disruption and chaos, so getting the Ball family involved in a no-brainer. Let’s face it, if Lonzo is going to be in the movie, the entire Ball family is going to be in the movie. You might be opposed to giving them more attention, but I think the benefits of having the Ball family exist as canon in the Warner Bros. universe far outweighs the negatives here. – CC

Space Jam draft: Round 5

5.1) JaVale McGee: So, compared to all the players in this exercise, even the one directly following this selection, JaVale McGee’s star power is somewhat lacking. I get that. But hear me out: first, Shawn Bradley is proof players don’t need to be statistically prolific to be part of “Space Jam,” they just need to be distinct. There is little doubt McGee is distinct. Second, part of “Space Jam” is comic relief, and McGee in Monstar form would be the ultimate Shaqtin’ a Fool. I don’t know, I just have a hunch on this one. – JB

5.2) Steven Adams: If Isaiah Thomas is my Muggsy Bogues, Steven Adams is my Shawn Bradley on steroids. He’s as tough as anyone in the league, and it’s so easy to picture a Monstar with his tribal tattoo and goofy long hair/beard combination. Sure, he’s not much of a scorer, but Bradley wasn’t much of one either, and this team needs a glue player. – BW

5.3) Michael Jordan: It would never happen. Do you think Jordan is going to allow his talent to be stolen, even in a movie? But it would make sense for a narrative perspective. The Monstars were defeated by Jordan, so they clearly want his power for the sequel. James looked up to Jordan growing up, so it would also call James to action.

Jordan may have been the hero of the first “Space Jam,” but is anyone denying he works perfectly as a Monstar? He was fiercely intense, to the point of insulting and angering teammates. You can call it killer instinct, but others might refer to it as Jordan being extremely mean. He’s the perfect Monstar and the steal of this draft. – CC

Yahoo Sports’ final “Space Jam 2” teams

Baer: JaVale McGee C, Zion Williamson PF, Kawhi Leonard SF, Kyrie Irving SG, Ben Simmons PG

Weinrib: Steven Adams C, Anthony Davis PF, Candace Parker SF, James Harden SG, Isaiah Thomas PG

Cwik: Dirk Nowitzki C, Jimmy Butler PF, Michael Jordan SF, Dwyane Wade SG, Lonzo Ball PG

Honorable mentions

Obviously, there are plenty of other players that could also fit in “Space Jam 2” that we did not take. Giannis Antetokounmpo is probably the best non-Warrior not taken in the draft, though that makes sense as the idea of a talent-less Antetokounmpo just sounds too depressing for a movie that is supposed to be a comedy.

Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony were part of the Banana Boat squad with James, Joel Embiid is definitely fun enough and Maya Moore has plenty of time on her hands with her year-long sabbatical. Other names that were thrown out in this discussion: Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Sue Bird, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Diana Taurasi and Blake Griffin.

Anyone we missed? Let us know below.

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