Mavericks make bold decision on possible LeBron James trade

The Dallas Mavericks have reportedly drawn a line in the sand when it comes to making a potential trade for 21-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Per Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Dallas refuses to offload major current roster pieces in a theoretical deal for the four-time MVP, who at 40 has been the league's oldest active player for the past two seasons.

"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," write Woike and Vardon. "And if there were a potentially better trade out there for the Lakers — one that would create cap flexibility while also addressing some of the team’s other needs — James has a full no-trade clause in his contract and could veto any deal that would send him somewhere he doesn’t want to go."

This is a fairly broad statement and can be interpreted in a number of ways. "Gutting the roster" is very different from matching salaries to meet James' number, and provided the Mavericks give L.A. pieces that fit alongside Doncic — i.e. re-partnering him with some of the old teammates who helped him reach the 2024 Finals for Dallas — one wonders if Dallas would be amenable.

James picked up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, but  James' agent, Rich Paul, told Shams Charania of ESPN that James was angling to contend for a title — while seeming to throw shade on the notion that that could happen in Los Angeles. 

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told Charania. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career."

Given that James is playing alongside one of the best four or five players in the world in five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic — who is probably James' highest-ceilinged teammate since Dwyane Wade — and a third solid playmaker and scorer in Austin Reaves, this was a curious statement.

L.A. did finish with a solid 50-32 record last season and the Western Conference's No. 3 seed, but the Lakers were thoroughly outclassed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a five-game first round playoff series upset.

The Lakers front office addressed the club's clearest issue — interior size — by signing free agents Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia this summer.

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future," Paul said. "We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."

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