LeBron James has been widely expected to finish his esteemed NBA career with a team other than the Los Angeles Lakers, but this offseason is shifting the public’s view.
The Lakers appear to be focused on building toward their future, with Luka Dončić leading the charge. This was made more apparent when L.A. allowed forward Dorian Finney-Smith to walk for nothing in free agency, opening up cap space for the 2027 offseason.
James is determined to win a final championship before calling it a career, whether it’s with the Lakers, elsewhere, or even another contender full of familiar faces to the 21-time All-Star.
Wild Trade Scenario Has Lakers Sending LeBron James to Mavericks
The Lakers and Dallas Mavericks already made arguably the biggest trade in NBA history by swapping Dončić and Anthony Davis at this year’s trade deadline, and a deal floating around could add another near the top of that list.
ClutchPoints’ Bailey Bassett floated a trade proposal that could take place between the Lakers and Mavericks this offseason, centered around James and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. The proposed details from Bassett are as follows:
Mavericks receive: LeBron James, Bronny James
Lakers receive: Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, Max Christie
There are three parties with serious input in this proposal: the Lakers, the Mavericks, and James. So, let’s analyze how each would view this potential blockbuster.
Los Angeles is the most likely of the three to decline this trade for rather obvious reasons. Thompson is the centerpiece of the return at 35 years old and has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his three-year, $50 million contract. While it’s not a ton of money to shell out to a “Splash Brother,” odds are he will retire or play just a few more seasons after the deal expires. The other four players involved are solid contributors but may not equal the star value James offers, even at age 40.
On LeBron James and the Lakers for the midnight @SportsCenter: pic.twitter.com/XPK4lSo065
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
It’s hard to imagine Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka actually landing a fair return for James given the circumstances, but failing to add any draft capital would be a huge slip-up on his part.
No one is quite sure how Mavericks GM Nico Harrison operates after dealing a young franchise cornerstone for an injury-riddled veteran superstar. It’s safe to assume he’d entertain the idea of pairing James with two of his former teammates, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, if the five previously listed players are all he needs to part with.
Finally, how would James feel about retiring a Maverick? It appears hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy is the top priority, even more so than where he is playing. Leaving California may not appeal to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer for a multitude of reasons, but if it’s established that 2026 will mark his final year in the league, James could be willing to do so.
It’s quite a surprising proposal, but it could be more tempting for some parties involved than fans would think at first glance.
Look at this bs LoL. If he was trying chasing he can just take a vet min and go to any team he didn’t need to opt in to anything.