The LeBron James era in L.A. may not be over just yet, but it’s clear the Los Angeles Lakers are no longer his team.
It took 23 seasons, officially an NBA record when James takes the floor for the first time in 2025-26, but the four-time MVP has finally lost the supreme form of leverage he has held every year with every franchise for which he has played: The threat of leaving the following summer if the front office doesn’t exhaust its resources to improve the roster toward immediate contention.
James will turn 41 years old in December, which is part of it, though he remains a perennial All-Star and All-NBA selection, earning second-team honors last season. The bigger factor, though, was the Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic back in February.
Doncic, 26, is already a five-time first-team All-NBA player and one of the best five or six players in the league (at worst) when healthy. He is just entering his prime years now, and the Lakers are looking harder at the 2026 and 2027 offseasons — when they will have more salary cap space freedom and more personnel optionality — to construct a roster suited to Doncic’s needs and desires.
Competing in the Western Conference will be a bear of a task regardless, but centering a squad around a player like Doncic should give L.A. a legitimate chance to contend against and/or defeat the top teams in a young and powerful West that boasts several franchises prepared for long runs near the top of the league.
With all of that as context, James may push for a trade out of L.A. this summer. Going to the Eastern Conference makes the most sense for both James and the Lakers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are an obvious landing spot for several reasons.
Darius Garland Among Most Likely Trade Candidates on Cavaliers’ Roster
GettyPoint guard Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
First, the Cavs drafted James No. 1 overall 22 years ago. He is from the surrounding area and led the franchise to the sole championship in its history in 2016.
Cleveland also has four recent All-Stars on its roster, all of whom are young and talented but aren’t the perfect fit together based on redundant skill sets. The foursome won the East during the regular season in 2024-25, but still left the playoffs after a five-game defeat in the second round — the exact same exit point as last season.
One of the players the Cavaliers are more likely to part with is point guard Darius Garland, who was an All-Star last season on the strength of 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He is playing on a five-year deal worth $197 million that runs through 2027-28, when he will be just 28 years old.
Garland’s salary this season ($39.5 million) isn’t an exact match with James’ after the latter exercised the $52.6 million option on the final year of his contract. As such, the Cavaliers would need to add another player into the deal to make the salaries work.
LeBron James Can Help Cavaliers Compete for Title Next Season, Relieve Financial Concerns in Coming Years
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are several paths the teams could take, including the Cavs adding De’Andre Hunter and his $23 million salary to the mix and the Lakers matching with Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber or Gabe Vincent: and that’s just one permutation.
The point is that the money can work on both sides and the deal makes sense for various reasons. Garland is an on-ball guard who is weak on defense, which is exactly the same strength/weakness profile of his backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell, whom the Cavaliers are unlikely to trade
But Garland can work alongside Doncic, another weaker defender who needs the basketball, if the Lakers staggered their minutes. The addition of Hunter would add at least a little perimeter defense, while Los Angeles is certain to hunt for a rim-running, rim-protecting upgrade at center over Deandre Ayton — currently a placeholder in that regard on a two-year contract.
Meanwhile, James can offer the Cavaliers a better playmaker than they currently have and more size and defense on the perimeter. He wants to win another title, and the Cavaliers are positioned well in an Eastern Conference with several top teams ravaged by injury and looking at gap seasons in 2025-26.
James profiles as potentially a one-year play in Cleveland, but that could be worth it for two reasons. First, he might put the Cavaliers over the top in a winnable East based on his specific skill set.
Two, the Cavaliers are looking at crossing into the second apron this season, so getting off Garland’s money would mean significant financial savings in the years ahead as Garland’s salary increases. It could also potentially loosen the league-imposed handcuffs on roster building during the coming year.
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