LeBron James is currently at a stage in his career where he is quite comfortable with his situation. He is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most storied organizations in all of sports, and is situated in one of the biggest markets in the NBA. There have also been rumors that the Lakers will draft LeBron’s son, Bronny James, in the upcoming NBA Draft, which would fulfill LeBron’s dream of playing alongside his son.
LeBron seems to have almost everything he wants, so what could possibly tempt him to leave? The answer to that is the same thing that has caused him to leave teams in the past: being able to compete for an NBA championship. In the 2024 NBA season, the Lakers posted a 47-35 record, which was good enough to secure them the seventh seed.
However, they were essentially outclassed by the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round, as Denver won the series 4-1. After considering these results, it is clear that the Lakers won’t be competing for a championship anytime soon unless they make some serious personnel changes – changes that can’t be easily made.
If winning is still the top priority for LeBron, he may need to leave Los Angeles to achieve that goal. The main question is which team currently offers him the best chance to compete for a title. One team that immediately comes to mind is the surging Dallas Mavericks, who will be competing in this year’s NBA Finals. However, it’s not unreasonable to question whether LeBron would even be interested in relocating to Dallas. At least ESPN’s NBA analyst Brian Windhorst doesn’t think so.
In a recent interview, Windhorst was asked if he would rule out the possibility of LeBron James coming to Dallas. Windhorst responded, “Yeah, I would. But I think he loves Luka. I think there was a time when he was very interested in making a partnership with Luka. I think Luka has his superstar running mate right now, and I don’t think the Mavericks should touch anything.”
However, Windhorst was quick to point out James’ unpredictability, stating that he has learned to “never rule anything out” when it comes to the four-time champion’s future plans. LeBron to Dallas might be a long shot at this point – mainly because the Mavs don’t really seem to need him – but given the connections he has with Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, head coach Jason Kidd, and GM Nico Harrison, it’s a scenario we’ll at least keep an eye open for.