There was once a question about who would be the face of the Los Angeles Lakers after LeBron James and Anthony Davis's exits, but that question got answered in February.
The Dallas Mavericks traded superstar guard Luka Doncic, along with Maxi Kleber, to the Lakers for Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. It's regarded as one of the most shocking deals in sports history, as Doncic is 26 and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, while Davis is 32 and injury-prone.
Regardless, Los Angeles now has Doncic to lead it through its post-James era. James exercised his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers on Sunday, but he could still ask out this summer if he doesn't like the team's direction.
A new report emerged on Sunday about a possible destination for the future Hall of Famer if he does request a trade, via Jovan Buha.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
"There has been some buzz in the general NBA ether in the last week or two with LeBron and Dallas," he said. "If you look at the situation, they have AD, they have Kyrie [Irving], they have Jason Kidd, who LeBron played with at Team USA and also played under with the Lakers. Kidd was an assistant on that 2020 title team, and LeBron loved being coached by him."
"They also have Nico Harrison, which is funny as that is to some, he is a former Nike guy, and LeBron is Mr. Nike...Keep an eye on Dallas [if he asks out]," he continued.
James and Davis played together in Los Angeles for five-and-a-half seasons, and the two stars led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks now have No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in addition to Irving and Davis after winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.