LeBron James is a Laker for now after he gave “no indication” to the Los Angeles Lakers that he would seek a trade or a buyout, The Athletic reports.
But if James changes course, there have been four teams, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, that have shown interest in him in the aftermath of his agent Rich Paul’s controversial statement on June 29 when the Lakers star opted into his $52.6 million player option.
According to The Athletic, one of those teams, however, has drawn a line in the sand.
One team linked to James — the Dallas Mavericks — does not have interest in gutting its roster to match James’ salary in a trade, a team source told The Athletic.
The Mavericks make a compelling case for James as his potential next destination if he ever wants a trade.
First, they have Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, James’ former running mates. They also have Jason Kidd, Frank Vogel, the two coaches with whom he worked to bring a championship to the Lakers in 2020. Then there is Phil Handy, the longtime player development and assistant coach, who recently joined the Mavericks coaching staff. Handy has been with James from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Lakers until last season.
But the most compelling reason would be that the Mavericks can construct a package without giving up Davis, Irving, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II.
James joining that four would make the Mavericks an instant title favorite.
However, as The Athletic reported, the Mavericks have no desire to gut their roster — they would need to trade up to four players from their roster to match salaries — for a 40-year-old James.
Lakers Getting Anxious on Luka’s Extension
Getty Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers is introduced before the game against his former team Dallas Mavericks.
With James expected to remain with the Lakers, Rob Pelinka and his front office can now focus on the most important move of their offseason — securing Luka Dončić‘s long-term commitment.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers are “a little bit stressed out” about it as August 2 gets closer. Beginning on that day, Dončić would be eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max extension that the Lakers would certainly offer.
“This happens when it’s a player’s second max contract,” Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on July 15. “This is when players sometimes leave or are not really worth it. This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it… If he signs it, relief for the Lakers… If he does not sign it, he can be a free agent next summer when there are going to be 10-plus teams with cap space. You will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luka.”
Luka May Delay Extension
While the Lakers are “a little bit stressed out,” there are no signs of Dončić turning his back on the glamour franchise.
That was crystal clear when Dončić put out a statement following the sale of the majority stakes of the franchise to LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a staggering $10 billion valuation.
“The Lakers are an amazing organization. I’m looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future. I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I’m happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them to win championships!” Dončić posted on X.
Windhorst warned the Lakers fans not to expect Dončić to sign immediately on Aug. 2.
“Don’t react negatively, Lakers fans, if you don’t see a deal right away,” Windhorst said.
That’s because Dončić is busy in Slovenia preparing for the EuroBasket that will run from Aug. 27 to Sept. 14.
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