Veteran forward LeBron James remains a consensus top-10 player in the NBA, but he and the Los Angeles Lakers are operating on two different timelines. For James, 40, the 2025-26 season may be his last chance to win an NBA championship, while the Lakers are not under the same urgency, with Luka Doncic, 26, and Austin Reaves, 27, just beginning to reach their prime.
Many analysts believe the clash in timelines could lead to the Lakers and James parting ways as early as the 2025 NBA trade deadline. In light of the rumors, Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Shea floated a mock trade that would see the Lakers acquire a dynamic All-Star guard, a sharpshooter, and a first-round draft asset for James.
Lakers would receive: Darius Garland, Max Strus, 2026 1st round pick
Cavaliers would receive: LeBron James, Bronny James
A Trade That Helps Both Teams
The writer argued that the trade would help both the Cavaliers and Lakers for several reasons. While the Cavaliers, who own the third-shortest odds to win the NBA title, would instantly become the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals, the Lakers would add a young All-Star in Garland, 25, who will fit Doncic’s timeline.
“With the Cavs in win-now mode, they look to acquire one of the greatest players of all time, Lebron James,” wrote Shea. “They ship off the injured Garland, who some question if he will be the same player when he returns [from injury].
“James brings plenty of championship pedigree as he has 4 NBA finals trophies to his name, and has gotten to the finals a total of 10 times, making the Cavs the clear favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in the 2025-2026 season.”
Lakers Urged to Move on From James
Garland, who underwent toe surgery in June, is not expected to be ready for training camp, but is likely to return to full fitness before the end of the year. When he returns, the Lakers will have three dynamic guards in Doncic, Reaves and Garland, all of whom can score in bunches and terrorize defenses in the Western Conference.
“The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have extended their championship window for the next decade when they acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks last season,” wrote Shea. “At 26 years old, the Lakers decided to make him the new face of the franchise and build around him for this season and beyond. Although there is concern around Garland’s injury, the Lakers bank on the 25-year-old returning to form when he returns. This formulates a dynamic young duo that sets up a bright future for LA.”
Other analysts have also urged the Lakers to trade the “ring-chasing” James. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes named James as one of the top trade-deadline candidates to monitor, noting that the Lakers may have no option but to move on from the forward.
“Though his $53 million salary and outsized presence make trade scenarios tricky, James’ status as a ring-chasing star with an expiring contract requires that he be seriously viewed as a candidate to move at the deadline,” wrote Hughes.
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