LeBron James‘ future has suddenly become the biggest talking point in the basketball world. James opted into his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26 with the Los Angeles Lakers, but might ask for a trade at some point. With that in mind, fans on X were asked where he’d rather play, and his friend, Cuffs The Legend, went with the Dallas Mavericks.
Whether this is an informed opinion or just what he’d like to see is unclear. The Mavericks would be an interesting landing spot for James.
Provided the Mavericks don’t include Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving in their package for James, he’d reunite with two of his former co-stars in Dallas. He won a title with Irving on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and with Davis on the Lakers in 2020.
We came up with a package that would see the Mavericks acquire James without giving up their two stars. They could well become the favorites to win it all with this move.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha also listed the Mavericks as one of four teams that would make the most sense for James. Buha also revealed there has been some buzz about the 21-time All-Star going to Dallas.
“There has been some buzz, I will say, in the general NBA ether over the last week or two with LeBron and Dallas,” Buha stated. “And if you just look at the situation, they have [Anthony Davis], they have Kyrie [Irving].
“They have Jason Kidd, who LeBron played with in Team USA and then also played under with the Lakers,” Buha continued. “Kidd was [an] assistant on that 2020 title team, and LeBron loved being coached by him. They also have Nico Harrison… He is a former Nike guy, and LeBron is Mr. Nike.”
Mavericks fans were crushed after Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers in February, and you struggled to see a scenario where they’d start to feel good about their team again. Landing Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft did ease the pain, and if they acquire James, too, the fanbase would be over the moon.
Cuffs The Legend Ripped Lakers Fans
With James potentially heading to the exit door, he has come under fire from Lakers fans. That didn’t go down too well with Cuffs The Legend, and he called out the fanbase.
“Just look at how some of these Laker fans be talking crazy about LeBron James.. especially now that he’s almost at the end of his career.. The Lakers franchise was enjoying the projects before Akron came to LA.. ungrateful f**** lol.”
The Lakers were indeed a train wreck before James arrived in 2018. They had missed the playoffs five seasons in a row, and big-name free agents were repeatedly turning them down as well.
All that losing had led to the Lakers having a promising young core of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Lonzo Ball, but they were unlikely to ever win a title with that group. They were in desperate need of a superstar, and James fulfilled their wish.
James would help the Lakers win their 17th title in his second season, and you wondered at the time if this was the beginning of a dynastic run. It wasn’t to be, though.
The Lakers have only gotten out of the first round once since then, and James, who averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2024-25, might now be considering his options. The 40-year-old can only play on for so much longer, and he wants to win another title or two.
