LeBron James Trade to Mavericks Gaining Steam Ahead of NBA Free Agency

The Dallas Mavericks have been linked to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who picked up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season on Sunday.

“I will say that there has been some LeBron-and-Dallas buzz going on a couple years now,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha reported at the 9:40 mark of his latest YouTube podcast episode.

“Remember in the summer of 2023, right after Dallas had traded for Kyrie, there was that rumor out there that LeBron was gonna go to Dallas on a vet minimum contract and team up with Draymond, and it was gonna be Luka [Doncic], Kyrie [Irving], LeBron, and Draymond [Green].

“That, of course, did not happen. But there has been some buzz I will say in the general NBA ether over the last week or two with LeBron and Dallas.”

LeBron James Will Be Closely Monitoring The Lakers’ Moves

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that James and agent Rich Paul “will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ moves and whether the team is positioning itself this offseason to field a title-contending roster.”

This means the future Hall of Famer could request a trade in the months ahead if he’s not satisfied with the offseason moves made by general manager Rob Pelinka.

More importantly, Buha reported in February that some “lower-lever staffers” with the Lakers were initially concerned with how James would respond to being blindsided by the Doncic trade.

It’s too early to tell if the Lakers won the Doncic trade, but one thing is certain: If James wants out this year, he would first have to waive his no-trade clause.

James Would Reunite With Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving

The Mavs are a potential landing spot for the 21-time All-Star. James would reunite with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two stars with whom he has played before.

However, LeBron’s salary is a significant obstacle for the Mavericks, so for Dallas to add James, the team would likely have to deal away a big star or several role players.

Per Spotrac, Davis and Irving are the only Mavs players making more than $20 million next season. Expendable players include Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Max Christie, PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, Jaden Hardy, and Dwight Powell.

Mavs Could Trade Gafford, Washington, Marshall, And Caleb Martin

There could be a scenario in which Dallas could acquire James without gutting its roster.

“When healthy, the Mavericks could go into the 2026 playoffs with a starting five of Irving, Thompson, James, Davis, and Dereck Lively II with [Cooper] Flagg as the sixth man,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz. “Financially, this trade can work for Dallas without having to give up any of their core players.

“The Mavs could send a package of Gafford, Washington, Marshall, and Caleb Martin to make the money work and could offer the Lakers unprotected 2029 first-round pick back as a sweetener. The Lakers could really use this influx of frontcourt talent to complement Doncic and Austin Reaves.”