LeBron James has officially picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025–26 season. Despite this, NBA insiders warn that it doesn’t fully guarantee James will suit up in purple and gold next season. Hence, a potential trade request from James isn’t completely off the table.
NBA insider Jovan Buha weighed in on the growing speculation during his podcast. He identified four potential trade destinations that could emerge if LeBron decides to seek a new home. But Buha claimed that Dallas is a team worth monitoring closely.
“I don’t think we’re at the point of him asking out, but if he does, I assume there will be a list. In terms of teams that would make sense, I came up with four: Dallas, Cleveland, New York, and Golden State—in no particular order. But I will say that there has been some LeBron and Dallas buzz going on a couple of years now,” Buha said.
The Dallas Mavericks are a team to keep an eye on if LeBron James requests a trade, per @jovanbuha
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025
(h/t @KevinGraySports / @NationMffl )
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“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, Kyrie, LeBron, and Draymond, and 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,” Buha added.
LeBron James’ Personal Ties To Jason Kidd Strengthen Dallas Appeal
Another key factor favoring Dallas is LeBron’s strong connection to the team’s leadership. Buha pointed out that Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has a long-standing relationship with James, both from their time together on Team USA and from Kidd’s stint as an assistant coach with the Lakers during their 2020 championship run.
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“They have Jason Kidd, who LeBron played with in Team USA and then also played under with the Lakers. Kidd was an assistant on that 2020 title team and LeBron loved being coached by him. They also have Nico Harrison, which, as funny as that is, he is a former Nike guy—and LeBron is Mr. Nike,” Buha said.
Moreover, Dallas already has Anthony Davis on the roster. The chance to reunite with Davis and play under familiar coaching could make Dallas one of the most compelling final chapters of LeBron’s historic career.
Also Read: LeBron James’ Agent Reveals Why Lakers Star Opted In Without Pay Cut Amid Future-Focused Rebuild
