After 22 years in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is reaching a very interesting point in his career. With four championships and four MVPs, there is nothing left for James to prove, but he has too much left in the tank to just call it quits.
While his time in the NBA may not be coming to an end quite yet, his time with the Lakers could be. James is reportedly monitoring the Lakers' moves to decide how he wants to play his future with the franchise.
LeBron James wants a chance to compete for another championship and has been monitoring the Lakers’ moves this offseason, per @ShamsCharania
It remains to be seen how much of his playing future will be with the team.
“James, the NBA's career leading scorer, wants to compete… pic.twitter.com/exe9JAcTro
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2025
If James ultimately decides he wants out of Los Angeles, there are few teams that would make sense for the aging star to jump to. One potential suitor is the San Antonio Spurs.
Of course, James does not fit San Antonio's timeline of trying to build a future around 21-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama, but if they want to compete for a championship as early as next season, this could be an interesting move. Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes released a trade proposal that would send James to San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
Nov 15, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
San Antonio Spurs receive: LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, 2027 ATL first-round pick
It would not be ideal for the Spurs to give up two young pieces in Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan for a likely one-year rental of 40-year-old LeBron James, but that would be the price to pay for a wild LeBron-Wemby duo.
The Spurs have enough assets that this would not hurt them too much in the long run, even if a one-year James tenure amounts to nothing, but it would still be a risk. For the Lakers, on the other hand, this would not be the worst possible return for James, although they could likely command better.