New Report Links Lakers’ LeBron James to Familiar West Rival

By Alex Kirschenbaum
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Chatter has been percolating across the league about 21-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers power forward LeBron James potentially forcing his way out of town even after he opted in to his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26.

James (and, perhaps, his 20-year-old son Bronny) has been floated as a clear potential trade fit for the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers, with clubs like the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and his other prior stop, the Miami Heat, possibly lurking.

Per longtime NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, James could be reunited with both of his most recent second bananas - 10-time All-Star power forward/center Anthony Davis and nine-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving - in a potential trade to the Mavericks.

"I will say that there has been some LeBron-and-Dallas buzz going on a couple years now," Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha told Robinson. "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. 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."

Robinson, himself confirmed that there Irving had reached out over the phone to James about joining him down in Dallas after he was first flipped there prior to the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

"Kyrie asked LeBron to find a way to come to the Dallas Mavericks," a source told Robinson. "At the end of their conversation, LeBron told him: ‘I'll think about it.'"

That said, Robinson has also received some pushback about James ditching his own team to pair up with Irving once again.

"Hell no Scoop, there's no way that LeBron James forces a trade to the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie can come to the Lakers if he wants," a source in James' camp informed Robinson.

Given that James is playing next to one of the best players in the league in 26-year-old superstar guard Luka Doncic on a team that just won 50 games. Watching the 40-year-old former four-time league MVP demand a deal out of town is a bit surprising.

Still, the Lakers will look pretty different this summer. 3-and-D swingman Dorian Finney-Smith opted out of his $15.4 million player option for next season, and is said to be receiving strong interest from the Houston Rockets, per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

Robinson proposes a potential deal that could see both Jameses join Irving, Davis, and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg in Dallas, in exchange for former five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, rim-running center Daniel Gafford, and 3-and-D wings Max Christie (who had been shipped out to L.A. as part of the Luka Doncic trade) and P.J. Washington. Presumably Dallas would also be shipping out multiple draft picks in the offing.

That said, during a Monday appearance on NBA TV, insider Chris Haynes suggested that James' longtime Klutch Sports agent, Rich Paul, indicated trade talks have yet to happen.

"(Paul) told me there have been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers," Haynes said. "People have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I'm told all that talk is false. There has been no trade talks."

Related: Dallas Mavericks Could Poach LeBron James in Second Blockbuster LA Lakers Trade

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Alex Kirschenbaum
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Aaron Moody is a sports and general reporter for the News & Observer. Here is a second sentence for the bio because it will probably be longer than this. Maybe even longer I don't know. Support my work with a digital subscription

This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 5:37 PM