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Ranking the Top 5 LeBron James Trade Landing Spots to Maximize the King's Final Years
LeBron James turned many heads when he opted into the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even more people suffered whiplash after reading comments that Rich Paul, his agent, relayed to ESPN's Shams Charania, which included at least an undercurrent of "Thanks for the memories" energy.
Many around the league are in turn wondering whether this is a precursor to LeBron requesting a trade, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick. That logic tracks.
If LeBron really wanted to put pressure on the Lakers to improve around him, opting out and hitting the open market would have made more sense (in theory). This decision suggests he wasn't thrilled with the team's terms on a new deal. Maybe the Lakers wouldn't let him keep his no-trade clause or offer multiple years—or both.
Regardless, LeBron opting in signals at least some level of disconnect between him and the franchise. And that frees us up to spotlight the best landing spots should he try to leverage his way out of Los Angeles.
Note that these featured teams are not necessarily endorsements. We're simply on the prowl for squads that would intrigue LeBron, and that also could talk themselves into acquiring a 40-year-old entering the final year of a contract paying him $52.6 million.
We will then rank them by taking into account basketball fit, as well as the supporting cast that would be left in the event of a trade.
5. Phoenix Suns
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Phoenix Suns team governor Mat Ishbia is aggressive enough to pursue a soon-to-be 41-year-old LeBron James after just getting burned by a soon-to-be 37-year-old Kevin Durant. The Lakers should pounce at the opportunity to negotiate with him.
Of course, Phoenix doesn't have much to give up. It cannot send out any first-round picks and would have to skirt the second apron as part of any deal if it's going to aggregate salaries.
Roping in the Nets to take on a mid-level contract could prove valuable for the Lakers. The Suns drafted the 7'2" Khaman Maluach at No. 10, and Los Angeles needs a big man.
Figuring out the salary math is complicated. Bradley Beal would likely waive his no-trade clause to play in Hollywood, but the Lakers probably balk at taking on the additional one year and $57.1 million he'll earn in 2026-27.
Then again, they could delay their infatuation with future flexibility to the summer of 2027, when a certain three-time MVP in Denver is currently slated to enter free agency.
The Suns will need LeBron's help no matter how you frame it. And hey, they could get it. Phoenix is a short 90-minute flight from Los Angeles, and Bryce James, LeBron's youngest son, is committed to playing at the University of Arizona. And as of now, the Suns with LeBron, Devin Booker, Mark Williams, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green are closer to contention than whatever the Lakers currently have around LeBron, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
4. Dallas Mavericks
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LeBron James sounded like he missed Anthony Davis after the Lakers got bounced from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Why not join him on the Dallas Mavericks?
Big D's interest in reuniting may be a long shot with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in the mix, and with Kyrie Irving recovering from an ACL injury. But the LeBron-Mavs connection has legs.
"I will say that there has been some LeBron-and-Dallas buzz going on a couple years now," Lakers insider Jovan Buha said during a recent episode of Buha's Block (at the 9:40 mark). "Remember in the summer of 2023, right after Dallas had traded for Kyrie, there was that rumor out there that LeBron was gonna go to Dallas on a vet minimum contract and team up with Draymond, and it was gonna be Luka, Kyrie, LeBron and Draymond."
Bringing in LeBron at the vet's minimum isn't an option this time around (and, let's face it, never was). But the Mavs have plenty of contracts to stack on top of one another.
Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson and P.J. Washington get them almost all the way there. The rest can be worked out using a combination of Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, Jaden Hardy, Dwight Powell (expiring) and Max Christie (LOL). The exact inclusions from this pool would vary depending on how many of the Mavs' three tradable first-rounders president of basketball operations Nico Harrison is willing to offload.
If the Lakers are indeed more concerned about the bigger picture, they can do much worse than Dallas as a trade partner. Even if you don't view any inbound players as long-term keepers, everyone is basically on extremely movable salaries, and the Mavs are one of the teams you could envision forking over more than one future first-rounder to make this a reality.
3. New York Knicks
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LeBron James chose not to join the New York Knicks during 2010 free agency. Perhaps he can sport orange and blue more than 15 years later.
New York will fill its second ball-handler box by adding Jordan Clarkson. That's no reason to pass on LeBron, who remains a top-tier offensive player. The one-two punch between him and Jalen Brunson would be bonkers, alleviating the workload on not only the latter, but Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby as well.
LeBron's age will be a deterrent. He turns 41 in December. But a straight-up swap for Karl-Anthony Towns has its merits. The big man is more than a decade younger, but the three years and $171.2 million left on his contract aren't what you'd call ideal when stacked up against his defensive limitations and offensive inconsistencies.
Adding Guerschon Yabusele and having Mitchell Robinson positions the Knicks to get by at center without Towns while still maintaining five-out whimsy in certain lineups. They might even appreciate the extra flexibility LeBron's expiring contract affords, particularly as Bridges gets more expensive after this season.
The Lakers' appetite for this structure will, again, be limited if they want 2026 cap space. Towns is also too ground-bound to be a lob threat for Luka Dončić. But the floor-spacing element he provides is still useful alongside Los Angeles' megastar, and he can play next to a more traditional big if the team wants that look.
Other permutations can be built around a combination of Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks should walk away at that point. Consolidating players hollows out a rotation they're trying to deepen, and Bridges, Anunoby and Robinson all profile as much too important to any LeBron era in New York.
2. San Antonio Spurs
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The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly among the teams that showed restraint in Kevin Durant trade negotiations because they wanted to save their powder for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. That's a tough line to straddle, but it gets a little easier with LeBron James.
His no-trade clause gives him more power over his next destination than even KD held on his expiring contract. If LeBron decides that he wants to land in San Antonio, the Spurs should be able to cobble together a package that leaves them with enough to go younger-star chasing at some point in the near or distant future.
Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are off limits. So, too, are San Antonio's most primetime first-rounders.
Something like Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and a 2026 first-rounder should fit the Spurs' salary structure. It also keeps in theme with the Lakers' prioritization of flexibility.
Johnson is the only player with guaranteed money on the books next season, and it shouldn't be too hard to move him as an expiring contract next summer if Los Angeles needs the wiggle room. The Lakers could try pushing for Devin Vassell instead of Johnson, but he is pretty redundant with Austin Reaves, has more time left on his deal and is someone San Antonio should be more reluctant to jettison.
1. Denver Nuggets
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LeBron James playing next to Nikola Jokić would be hoops nirvana. Having that much basketball IQ on the floor at once would simply be unfair.
Making the math work here requires giving up Jamal Murray and either one or two smaller contracts. Using Peyton Watson alone gets the deal over the hump relative to Denver's current spot beneath the first apron. Subbing in DaRon Holmes II gets you almost all the way. The Nuggets have the teensier salaries of Hunter Tyson and Jalen Pickett to futz and fiddle with as well.
Going from the 28-year-old Murray to a 40-year-old LeBron is quite the timeline acceleration. But Denver has already shown its all-in on the present by shipping an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Cam Johnson-for-Michael Porter Jr. trade. And look, if you gave the Nuggets front office truth serum, there's a chance they may prefer the flexibility of LeBron's expiring contract and career twilight to the four-year, $207.8 million max deal Murray is about to start.
Los Angeles' end of the deal is harder to justify if it's bent on prioritizing 2026 spending power. But Murray better aligns with Luka Dončić's window, and having both to handle the ball would preserve offensive dynamism. There is no guarantee the team could poach someone better than him next summer.
Any young player—Watson or Holmes, specifically—the Lakers could get in tandem is a nice bonus. Remember, for both here and forthcoming destinations, LeBron's no-trade clause gives him the ultimate leverage. Teams are already skittish of his age and price point. Los Angeles isn't going to net a conventional haul for his services.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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