Mavericks trade for LeBron James could be fitting closure to Luka Doncic blockbuster

Sometimes, a report catches your eye that is too astounding to move past.

That's the case with what Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha shared on X and in a new video on Sunday night.

Buha wrote, "If LeBron asks out, keep an eye on Dallas."

Could the Lakers really trade LeBron James to the Mavericks?

That'd be the most insane full-circle finish to the Luka Doncic trade.

It's not clear what James would cost in a deal, but it seems like Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis wouldn't be part of the package. Dallas would want both of them to play with LeBron (along with Kyrie Irving, who is out until sometime in 2026).

The Lakers surely wouldn't pursue a deal like this with a conference foe unless James specifically asked for it. Even then, they wouldn't have to, but it'd probably be more likely if he made the request.

And it's not a given James asks out to begin with. His agent's comments on Sunday made it seem just a little more likely.

MORE: Lakers trading LeBron James seems to be a door left open

The Lakers would probably eventually want to do it to mostly get draft capital back.

The Mavericks would do it to chase an NBA title with the group that they built after the Doncic trade (plus the luck of getting Flagg).

It's certainly wild speculation that's worth thinking about, because it's hard to come up with a way that it wouldn't be cool.

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