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The moment Luka Doncic became a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James was thrust into a situation he never anticipated experiencing: Second fiddle.
There have been some growing pains as his input on the roster has not been sought out, according to reports, and Rich Paul's comments on his behalf after opting into his contract this season didn't exactly quell concerns some fans might've had about his client's future in the Lakers organization. The thing is, even while James may not trust Rob Pelinka to build a team around him and Doncic, there just isn't a perfect situation James can realistically go to that would check all the boxes Paul outlined.
Let's start with the infamous quote.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “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.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. 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.”
Since these quotes first came out, Brian Windhorst of ESPN has taken things to the next step, saying, “The beginning of LeBron’s departure from the Lakers has begun.” He went on to say the chances of a trade have increased to the point where he can't say a deal flat out will not happen.
So, with all that as background, let's take a look at what James is looking for if he does indeed move on and see if a better situation exists than the one he'd be asking out of. According to sources close to the team, the Lakers would not trade James without his asking for it first. They can't make such a move, as he holds a full no-trade clause.
It also seems somewhat unlikely the Lakers would buy out James, even if he asked. Remember, even when Kobe Bryant demanded a trade, the Lakers refused to budge and send him anywhere for the sake of doing right by their young star. In this case, the Lakers would obviously try to work with James to find his next destination, but they'd have goals in any trade they make, too, and it's hard to see where letting him walk and receiving nothing at all so he can sign on the minimum would benefit the organization.
Also, if James is bought out, he'd also have to clear waivers. Yes, it would be tricky for teams to clear enough salary on short notice to take on the remaining $53 million James is owed, but a team like the Brooklyn Nets could technically make it work. James could technically warn teams against claiming him, but that's not a fool-proof maneuver, either.
So, let's assume James would have to be traded. It's also safe to assume that whatever team would trade for James would also bring in Bronny.
Cleveland Cavaliers
James sent the internet into yet another storm of speculation over the weekend, taking a picture in the Cavaliers' practice facility with members of their summer league team. While he was golfing, James rocked a “Welcome Home” hat — though it should also be noted “Welcome Home” is one of James' companies. James later tried to dispel all the noise by pointing out he regularly works out in Cleveland, but, as is customary on the internet, people just continued feeling however they were feeling about the situation.
Cleveland obviously makes a ton of sense in a variety of ways. They just won 60-plus games last year, so they'd obviously remain in title contention with James in the fold, especially in the extremely anemic East. James could finish out his career where it started, just a kid from Akron, potentially bringing the championship trophy to the city of his childhood.
Artistically, it makes all the sense in the world. Logistically, well, it's tough to figure out.
As Cleveland is currently above the second apron, they can't aggregate contracts. So, if they do want to trade for James, they would have to shed enough salary either in a separate deal or as part of the larger deal with the Lakers. The problem with a straight two-team deal is that the Lakers can't take in enough salary to get Cleveland the second apron, as they are hard-capped below the first apron. Cleveland's books are pretty clean as is, so they would be moving rotation players both to shed salary and also entice the Lakers to trade James.
In this hypothetical, Cleveland would be gutting a 64-win roster for a year or two of James, then restarting their timeline after he retires. Perhaps they believe they maxed out last season, but Darius Garland was clearly not himself in that series and eventually needed toe surgery. Would they rather bet on him looking better with two working feet or go all in on James being an improvement on his own over the three-to-five rotation players they would need to move him?
New York Knicks
As far as trades go, New York is a lot more feasible. They have plenty of salary to send out and can aggregate it however they feel necessary. The problem with the Knicks is their owner, James Dolan, who, according to Charles Oakley, James has said he'd never play for. This might be a non-starter
Still, if the Knicks were to send OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, they'd have the makings of a deal for James. Would New York part with Anunoby for two years of James lighting up Madison Square Garden? If not, would the Lakers show interest in Karl-Anthony Towns and his albatross of a contract? There seem to be the pieces for a trade potentially, but there are certainly factors that would hold up negotiations in each iteration, and that's before you get to how James would feel about his new boss.
Dallas Mavericks
Not so quietly, the Mavericks have been piecing together key parts of the coaching staff that won the 2019-20 championship with James, except this time, with the head coach he probably would've preferred all along in Jason Kidd. Anthony Davis is already in Dallas, as is Kyrie Irving. There would be plenty of familiar faces James has had success with, and the first overall pick, Cooper Flagg, there for good measure.
Dallas could also throw together a very competitive offer without completely gutting its core. Sending Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Max Christie for both James (LeBron and Bronny) would work financially, but would James want to play for his fourth team? If he isn't a fan of Dolan in New York, it's hard to imagine he'd be thrilled about playing for the Adelson family, given the things they've stood for over the years.
Also, what kind of player will Irving be, coming off that brutal knee injury last season, if he returns this year at all? It feels like there's too much up in the air for James in Dallas.
Golden State Warriors
According to reports back in 2024, Joe Lacob reached out to Jeanie Buss about a James trade. She told him he'd have to talk to James about it, and James said he wasn't interested. Has enough changed over the last year or so to change the tenor of that conversation? Golden State has been in the midst of negotiations with Jonathan Kuminga for a new contract all summer. Would the Lakers be interested in him and whatever additional contracts that would be sent to make the trade legal?
If the Lakers aren't interested in Kuminga – they shouldn't be – would they want the remaining two years, $111 million salary of Jimmy Butler instead? Would James want to go to Golden State without Butler there waiting for him, too? If James goes to Golden State for Butler, is he really in that much better a situation than he has in Los Angeles? It isn't like he'd be the center of their universe either, playing in Stephen Curry's city.
Which Leaves… The Lakers
Look, there is plenty of reason for James to be frustrated with the Lakers. They've farted around for years while they essentially waited for James' game to slip far enough for them to say “I told you so” about not trusting his longevity. If you listened to James' side of the story, they blindsided him by trading away Davis for Doncic. It's a deal every team makes 11 times out of 10, but that doesn't make it any less of a surprise. Again, now that Doncic is there, Pelinka no longer asks how high when James says jump – he hasn't for years, but still.
And yet, how many better situations is James going to find to win a championship than alongside Doncic, if the two of them can convince the front office to ditch this ridiculous summer of 2027 plan? If the assumption is the Lakers wouldn't just let James walk to whichever team he wants to win a ring on a minimum contract with, then he's going to wind up with a similar championship outlook.
James is also a very savvy businessman. He should know that Lakers fans have helped make actual or near-billionaires of Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant with their support of their endeavors well after their playing days were over. Does he want to risk that over a similar chance at a championship elsewhere, especially if he leaves on poor terms?
It certainly struck many around the league as odd that James has yet to acknowledge any of the moves the Lakers have made ever since Paul said they would be watching the rest of this summer closely. The whispers about James' future in Los Angeles are nearing a dull roar, as, according to ESPN, teams have started checking in with James' team about what might be coming next.
Goodness, even the Lakers themselves have slowed down their acquisition of talent after a busy few days. Again, some around the league are wondering if there's a larger domino that needs to fall before they resume those efforts. Las Vegas Summer League is a time where the league gets together, and this will be the topic of conversation throughout that trip. This situation needs to be resolved. And James might just wind up realizing he may not have it better than he does now, even if he may not wield the same power he's used to wielding.
