LeBron James' future in L.A. remains in doubt.
ESPN Insider Addresses Trade Move That 'Doesn't Make Sense' for LeBron James originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, but his decision only fueled speculation about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While expectations were high that he would run it back with L.A. and help the team contend for a title alongside Luka Doncic, James' future was put into question after his agent, Rich Paul, said that the 40-year-old "wants to compete for a championship" and "values a realistic chance of winning it all."
Many interpreted this as James' way of pressuring the Lakers to make moves to become title contenders, or else he would seek a trade away from the team.
That being said, plenty of trade rumors and talks immediately surfaced following Paul's statement. Aside from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for James, thanks to his connection with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Jason Kidd.
Mavericks insider Tim MacMahon, however, doesn't see a James trade to the Mavs happening at all despite what the rumors say. According to the ESPN reporter, it "doesn't make sense" for the Lakers star or the Mavs to pull off a trade.
In MacMahon's defense, trading for James would require the Mavs to send a significant number of their key players — such as Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, Naji Marshall and Max Christie — which would only hurt their ability to contend for a championship.
"You're giving up three or four rotation players for a potentially ring-chasing retirement tour, that doesn't make sense for Dallas," MacMahon explained. "It doesn't make sense for LeBron James."
For what it's worth, MacMahon also touched on a recent report from ESPN's David McMenamin, who stated that Dallas "would only be interested in LeBron in a buyout situation."
MacMahon agreed that a James buyout from the Lakers would pave the way for him to join the Mavericks and reunite with both Irving and Davis. However, the Dallas reporter can't imagine the Purple and Gold franchise agreeing to that.
Related: Luka Doncic's Message to Kyrie Irving Strikes an Emotional Chord with Fans
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
