Veteran forward LeBron James seriously considered joining the Dallas Mavericks before opting into $52.6 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, per The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
According to Hollinger, the complications of the NBA’s new CBA — which prevented the Mavericks from offering him more than a taxpayer MLE — ultimately led to James exercising his player option and returning to Los Angeles. Hollinger noted that returning to the Lakers was not “at the top of his wish list” entering the offseason.
“In particular, the whispers about him having eyes for Dallas — a place where he could have teamed up with former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving and young phenom Cooper Flagg — before opting into his deal were hard to ignore,” wrote Hollinger. ”
“Obviously, James wasn’t willing to leave $52 million on the table to take a nontaxpayer MLE or something similar from the Mavericks or another team. A buyout seems similarly unlikely. Additionally, the tax aprons on both sides will make any in-season transaction with a contender-class team challenging.”
Can Lakers Still Trade LeBron James?
Hollinger noted that James’ return to the Lakers does not necessarily mean he’ll spend the entire 2025-26 season with the franchise. If the team, which lost in the first round of the playoffs last season, does not make marked improvements, James could potentially seek a trade, given his determination to chase a fifth NBA title.
“Nonetheless, this situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly,” wrote Hollinger.
James, who owns a no-trade clause, has the leverage to choose his next team and the players involved in a potential trade, complicating matters for the Lakers.
“The best realistic way for him to get paid next summer by his team of choice is to land at his preferred destination via trade, and then have intact Bird rights in the summer of 2026,” Hollinger stressed.
Lakers Enter Luka Doncic Era
As Hollinger noted, the Lakers will have the flexibility to open up a maximum-contract slot in 2026 when James’ contract comes off the books. According to multiple insiders, the Lakers refused to offer James a contract extension this summer with an eye towards the 2026 and 2027 offseasons, when several marquee names will hit the market.
To that end, ESPN’s Tim McMahon believes the Lakers have made it abundantly clear, with both front-office moves and their messaging, that they’re ready to move on from James and onto the Luka Doncic era.
“LeBron, throughout the course of his career, has always been able to apply pressure on the franchises that he played for because he always had the threat of his departure,” McMahon said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast.
“LeBron has always had the ultimate power. He has always had all the leverage. And now, LeBron doesn’t have the power and the leverage because the threat of his departure next summer is not really a threat to the Lakers. It certainly appears that [his exit is] part of the plan.”
Another indicator of the Lakers handing the reins to Doncic? Look no further than the fact that Doncic actively recruited both DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart, the team’s two significant free agency signings this offseason.
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