LeBron James had a lot of people interested when he opted into his last year with the Los Angeles Lakers before free agency started. What made things even more interesting was when Rich Paul came out with a statement and said that James wanted to compete to win another championship. In that moment, it didn't sound like he was particularly talking about the Lakers, which led everyone to believe there was a chance James might request a trade this season.
The trade machines have been going crazy since then, and there are several teams that people think James would work well with. One of those teams is the Dallas Mavericks, but in reality, there's only one way they would be interested in James, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
“Dallas—I’m told—they would only be interested in LeBron in a buyout situation,” McMenamin said on ESPN LA.
It sounds like the Mavericks would only want James if they didn't have to give up anything, and that's probably how every team would feel. The Mavericks would have to give up some of their major pieces in a deal for James, and they'd rather keep their depth than give it away.
In a buyout situation, they keep their depth, and the only problem would be certain players losing minutes because they have to fit time for James.
Article Continues Below
Mavericks having solid start to free agency
The Mavericks knew coming into free agency what they needed to do, and one of the priorities was getting another point guard. With Kyrie Irving set to miss some time recovering from his torn ACL, it was imperative they get a guard who could play his minutes while he's sidelined. D'Angelo Russell was the guard they signed, and he was a nice pickup for a team looking for someone who can score and also facilitate.
They also re-signed some key pieces, such as Dante Exum, and added Frank Vogel to their coaching staff. The Mavericks seem ready to compete this season, and they have the roster to do so.
It makes sense why they wouldn't want to trade for James, and would rather see if he gets bought out. In that event, it's not even certain if James would want to play for them, but it may be intriguing, looking at the talent the Mavericks have on the team from top to bottom.