Ranking LeBron James' Top Trade Landing Spots Including Cavaliers, Warriors, More

LeBron James made the surprising decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option instead of signing a new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now why would he do that?

James could have made an extra $1.5 million by signing a new max deal at 35 percent of the cap and added a player option and no-trade clause on for a second year, mirroring the deal he got from the Lakers last summer.

One possible reason for not signing a new deal and picking up the player option instead? A trade becomes far easier to facilitate.

ESPN's Shams Charania spoke to James' agent, Rich Paul, who issued a very clear and public statement:

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship. 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."

This is either a leverage play for the Lakers to use up every trade asset possible to build a championship contender or an early breakup letter. 

With James possibly entering the final season of his legendary career, the following five franchises make the most sense as potential landing spots for arguably the greatest player of all time. We've also included rough trade frameworks for each team as a starting point for negotiations.

5. Golden State Warriors

Michael Owens/Getty Images

Warriors get: LeBron James

Lakers get: Jimmy Butler, Quinten Post

The Golden State Warriors showed they still had some juice left by reaching the second round of the playoffs, even in a tough Western Conference. Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-NBA level even at age 37 (24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, NBA-high 4.4 three-pointers per game).

Pairing Curry and James together would be a treat for NBA fans and allow the latter to stay in California, just a short flight from his Los Angeles home.

There's a few different iterations of a trade between these franchises, as a straight Jimmy Butler-James swap would work financially. Golden State could throw in one of its young centers (Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post) to help fill the void on the Lakers roster as well. The Warriors would be left with an aging yet still strong core of James, Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and others to chase one final championship together.

If the Warriors want to keep Butler, they would have to build a package around Green. This would require the salaries of players like Moody and Hield and some sweeteners.

After watching James and Curry play so perfectly together last summer on the US Olympic team, Golden State should at least make a phone call.

Would it take a little shine off of James' legacy to see him be the one to join Curry with the Warriors, a team he waged battle against in the NBA Finals for four straight years? Possibly.

This is a solid destination for the four-time MVP to end his career, although far from the best.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Cavs get: LeBron James

Lakers get: Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and De'Andre Hunter

Any third team: for salary filler

In terms of fairy tale endings, LeBron James returning to his home area to finish his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers exactly 10 years after winning the franchise's first and only NBA championship is something even Disney executives dream of.

Moving back to the Eastern Conference, one that will be without Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard for most or all of the entire season with torn Achilles', presents a far greater opportunity to return to the Finals as well. The West is only growing stronger with Kevin Durant traded to the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks landing Cooper Flagg in the draft.

The Cavs won 64 games last season before injuries derailed their chances of making it past the Indiana Pacers. Donovan Mitchell (three years) and Evan Mobley (five years) are both starting new max extensions and together would form one of the best Big Threes in the entire NBA with James.

One potential problem? Money.

Since James makes more than any other Cavs player ($52.6 million), the Cavaliers cannot aggregate contracts since they are over the second apron. The only way for Cleveland to trade for James would be to send out enough salary to match his contract and get under the second apron, a line they are currently $18.7 million above.

NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan outlined what a potential trade for James would look like, one that had Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and De'Andre Hunter all going out. A third team would need to be involved to take on salary as well.

This would leave the Cavs with a core of James, Mitchell, Mobley, Max Strus, Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill and Dean Wade as well as prospects like Tyrese Proctor, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr.

Cleveland would need to fill out the roster with a few veteran minimum signings, although the chance to play with this Big Three may be tempting for a number of ring chasers, especially in the East.

The idea of James coming back to the Cavs for a third time to end his career would be a nice addition to his legacy, especially if he won a fifth championship.

Given all the talent Cleveland would need to give up to acquire James and get under the second apron, however, it's hard to imagine a trade actually getting done.

3. Dallas Mavericks

David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Mavs get: LeBron James

Lakers get: Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick

Imagine someone telling you five months ago that the Dallas Mavericks were going to have LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg on their roster this summer and that Luka Dončić would be running the Los Angeles Lakers.

We're only one James trade away from this actually happening.

James going to the Mavs would mean reuniting with two of his greatest teammates of all time in Davis and Kyrie Irving. No word yet on if Dallas could coax Dwyane Wade out of retirement.

Irving is currently recovering from a torn ACL, so a trade for James would actually help solve the short-term ball-handling/playmaking issue that this team has. When healthy, the Mavericks could go into the 2026 playoffs with a starting five of Irving, Klay Thompson, James, Davis and Dereck Lively II with Flagg as the sixth man.

Financially, this trade can work for Dallas without having to give up any of their core players. The Mavs could send a package of Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin to make the money work and could offer the Lakers unprotected 2029 first-round pick back as a sweetener. The Lakers could really use this influx of frontcourt talent to complement Dončić and Austin Reaves.

Like with the Golden State Warriors, age could be an issue here. Injuries may continue to plague Irving and Davis. What makes Dallas a more desirable spot for James is the addition of Flagg, who raises this team's ceiling immensely.

James has stated on his Mind the Game podcast what a great situation Flagg is going into with veterans all around and getting to play for Jason Kidd. Now, James could join this group and play for his former assistant coach with the Lakers as well.

This would be a wild turn of events from just a few months ago, but James teaming up with Davis and Irving again along with Thompson and Flagg actually makes a lot of sense.

2. San Antonio Spurs

Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Spurs get: LeBron James

Lakers get: Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson

There were whispers of the San Antonio Spurs wanting to speed up their timeline with a Kevin Durant trade. A pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo may happen this summer as well.

If Antetokounmpo stays with the Milwaukee Bucks, however, the Spurs and James should have mutual interest.

Gregg Popovich, although no longer coaching, is still very much involved in the organization as the president of basketball operations. James and Popovich have long-shared their admiration for each other both on and off the court and should relish the opportunity to work together even in this capacity.

A Big 3 of James, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle would be a force in the Western Conference both now and into the future, as San Antonio could send a package of Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and one of Keldon Johnson or Harrison Barnes to make the money work with the Lakers' choice of picks to attach. The Spurs would still have their $14.1 mid-level exception and $5.1 million bi-annual exception to improve the roster with as well.

Letting Wembanyama work out with and learn from James for a year or two (or three) is the best possible scenario for the All-Star center's development, and James has never played with a rim protector or lob catcher like the 21-year-old.

Staying in the West is really the only drawback for James here, as the opportunity to play with the greatest prospect since, well, himself should help the 40-year-old feel young again.

1. New York Knicks

Gina Ferazzi/Getty Images

Knicks get: LeBron James

Lakers get: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, small salary filler

LeBron James once stated that if he could play all 82 games at Madison Square Garden, he would.

How about 41?

Of all the potential trade destinations for the NBA's all-time leading scorer, the New York Knicks make the most sense.

The Knicks were just two games away from reaching the NBA Finals this past season, have enough trade chips to send to the Los Angeles Lakers while keeping most of their core in place and, last we checked, still play in the Eastern Conference. James has gone on record saying that he's considered playing for the Knicks as a free agent earlier in his career.

If James wants to play in his self proclaimed favorite playground, this may be his last chance.

A trade package of OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and some small salary filler would be enough to match James' $52.6 million. The Los Angeles Lakers should have strong interest in putting both players next to Dončić as well.

A starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, James and Karl-Anthony Towns would be one of the NBA's best, especially offensively. With so many stars sidelined next season in the East, the Knicks' only real competition may come from the Cleveland Cavaliers. That's a far cry from the West where every single team (save for the Utah Jazz) should have playoff aspirations.

Winning a championship in Cleveland, a franchise that had never won a title, did an immeasurable amount for James' legacy. Helping the Knicks win a ring, their first in 53 years, would signify a major career milestone as well.