DALLAS - The idea of LeBron James landing with the Dallas Mavericks has been talked about forever.
By the Mavs.
Maybe not so much by LeBron.
But now there might be one more big swing to take.
The future of the iconic James is the No. 1 story of this NBA offseason as the Los Angeles Lakers have worked with the four-time MVP to make one monster decision ...
That could lead to another.
James, after seven years in L.A., has become an institution there, with many thinking he'll play one more season and then retire as a Laker.
But James’ recent decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season has triggered rumors about his future there ... especially with agent Rich Paul having hinted that all options are open.
DallasBasketball.com has largely shot down the idea of the 40-year-old being traded to the Mavs. (Read more here). And yet, Dave McMenamin of ESPN recently offered his view on the Mavericks' situation.
Said McMenamin: “Dallas, I’m told, would only be interested in LeBron in a buyout situation.”
This concept kills the idea of a trade. And it seems unlikely ... unless the Lakers' roster-build efforts are such a flop that LeBron asks out.
In this unlikely (to us) scenario, James reunites with old pals Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving in Dallas (along with new No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg) while also leaving ex-Mav Luka Doncic to fend for himself in Los Angeles.
Will things go so poorly in Los Angeles that this can actually happen? For the Mavs, it represents one final chance at the long-desired "C'mon LeBron" movement.