LeBron James is going to turn 41 during the 2025-26 NBA season, but it doesn’t appear that he’s planning to retire anytime soon. However, there’s a good chance that this will be his last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
There was some trade talk earlier in the offseason, but James is likely to stay with the Lakers for this season. He’ll be a free agent next offseason, and there will be no shortage of teams interested in his services, even at 41.
Recently, James was seen spending time with Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic’s agent Miško Ražnatović. This led to speculation that the future Hall of Famer could be eyeing a team-up with Jokic in Denver next season.
That would be a surprise choice for James, who should have options to reunite with former teammates or coaches next offseason. According to Fox Sports’ Nick Wright, James has no intention of playing for the Nuggets next season.
“I can report unequivocally that this tweet or Instagram caption was about LeBron playing on the Denver Nuggets next year is unequivocally 100 percent false. There is a zero percent chance that LeBron is on the Nuggets a year from now. That’s not my opinion. I know that,” Wright said on “First Things First.”
Why Wouldn’t James Go to Denver?
If the goal is to win more championships, the Nuggets would make a lot of sense for James. They won a championship a couple of seasons ago and have lost in seven games in the conference semifinals in back-to-back years.
Jokic is arguably the best player in the NBA, and a player like James could be what they’re missing to get back to the Finals. However, he doesn’t have many obvious connections with the Nuggets or Denver. He hasn’t worked with head coach David Adelman, and he doesn’t seem to have much of a prior relationship with Jokic or Jamal Murray.
At this stage in his career, James may rather go somewhere he can be a bit more comfortable, especially if he has to take a discount.
Mavericks Could Be Logical Fit for James
If James plays another year and wants to be moved, the Dallas Mavericks might be the most obvious choice. He is a big fan of head coach Jason Kidd, and he’s very close with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
It would be a seamless transition, considering he has played with Irving and Davis for years. CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn explained why the Mavericks would be a strong fit for James.
“The (Dallas) Mavericks, by far, have generated the most James buzz this offseason,” Quinn wrote. “If they were to trade for him now, though, it would mean gutting their depth. Dallas would have to give up four or five players just to match (the) money for James. As a free agent, things simplify tremendously.
“Without (P.J) Washington on the books, Dallas is looking at around $20 million in projected second-apron room before factoring in its first-round pick. That’s more than enough money to sign James to the taxpayer mid-level exception.”
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