Cavaliers Named New Favorites to Land LeBron James After Mavericks Report

Cavaliers Named New Favorites to Land LeBron James After Mavericks Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

After picking up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, LeBron James is once again entering a contract year with the Los Angeles Lakers.

As has been the case for the last few years, there is still a big question mark regarding James' future in Los Angeles. James is turning 41 years old in December, and there have been rumors about him possibly wanting to leave the team.

To this point, there have been no concrete reports about what the Lakers star's future with the team will look like. However, it seems that there is one team to keep an eye on: the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After being drafted first overall by the team in 2023, James had two separate stints in Cleveland from 2003-2010 and 2014-18. During his time with the Cavaliers, the Ohio native led the team to their first-ever NBA Championship in 2016. He last suited up for the team over seven years ago, but a return could be possible.

According to BetUS, the Cavaliers (+350) are the betting favorites to acquire James if he leaves the Lakers.

REPORT: The Cavaliers have emerged as the favorites to land LeBron James if he leaves LA next season, per @BetUS_NBApic.twitter.com/jxAKCikv6i

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 16, 2025

Previously, the Dallas Mavericks were the betting favorite to trade for the four-time champion. However, per the latest reports, the team is not interested in "gutting its roster" in order to acquire him (h/t Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic).

"One team linked to James — the Dallas Mavericks — does not have interest in gutting its roster to match James’ salary in a trade, a team source told The Athletic," Woike and Vardon wrote.

Last season, James and the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves just a couple of months after trading for Luka Doncic. As the Lakers look to establish themselves as title threats, they will need their top stars to bring their A-game. Whether James will be around to help the team achieve their goal, however, remains to be seen.

Related: LeBron James Update Surfaces on Future With Lakers

Related: Mavericks Named Favorites to Land LeBron James After Coaching News

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.