The Lakers altered the path of their franchise by acquiring Luka Doncic last season. Doncic is just 26-years-old and is entering the prime of his career, and the perfect pairing with LeBron James as his career winds down. With that in mind, all future moves that the Lakers make will be centered around Doncic.
For the first time in his career, Lakers SF LeBron James is not the centerpiece of his team — and he's also may not believe the Lakers are ready to compete for a championship.
Despite opting into his $52.6 million contract option for next season, the LeBron James trade rumors have been swirling, as he may happy with his current situation.
That has resulted in plenty of trade speculation, despite reports that James expects to be with the team this season. But... what if LeBron James was traded?
If he is traded at some point, here are four potential LeBron James trade partners for the Lakers.
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Dallas Mavericks
It would be ironic if LeBron James ended up on the team that traded Doncic to the Lakers. However, he would be a good fit with them. Even after trading away one of the best players in the league, the Mavericks are primed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. They lucked out in the lottery, coming away with the top pick and star rookie SF Cooper Flagg.
The two top veterans on the Mavericks are PG Kyrie Irving (who will miss some of the season with his torn ACL) and PF/C Anthony Davis, both of whom have already shown that they can play well alongside James.
The Mavericks also have proven commodities in SG Klay Thompson, C Dereck Lively II, C Daniel Gafford, and PF P.J. Washington. One or two of those players would probably end up on the Lakers in a James trade, but the Mavericks have enough depth that the move would still make sense. If the Mavericks entered the playoffs with Irving, Davis, Flagg, and James all healthy, they would be a tough out.
Cleveland Cavaliers
James started his career with the Cavaliers in 2003. After departing for the Heat, he eventually returned to the team and helped them win a championship. James then left again, this time to join the Lakers. It would be a bit of a storybook ending if he returned to the Cavaliers to end his career.
It wouldn’t just be a nostalgic move for James to end up on the Cavaliers — they're also a championship contender. The Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference; before being bounced by Pacers, they were expected to compete for a championship this year.
They also have a terrific opportunity to at least reach the NBA Finals with Celtics PF Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and Pacers PG Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) likely out for the season. While the Cavaliers have a talented roster, they haven’t been able to make a deep run in the playoffs. Adding a championship player like James would be intriguing.
New York Knicks
The Knicks already made one significant change this offseason by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and replacing him with Mike Brown. Their starting five returns in tack and they improved their overall depth by bringing in SG Jordan Clarkson and PF/C Guerschon Yabusele to bolster their bench.
James to the Knicks would seem unlikely, given the excellent starting five that the Knicks already have. However, it might be appealing for him to play in New York and be a part of all the pomp and circumstance that comes with Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have as good of a shot as any team to emerge from the Eastern Conference, so they would fit James’ desire to win another championship.
Los Angeles Clippers
It would seem far fetched that the Lakers and Clippers would work out a trade with each other. However, it was reported at the time that one of the reasons why James wanted to play for the Lakers is the business opportunities that come with playing in Los Angeles. Joining the Clippers would give him an opportunity to change teams while still keeping himself rooted in Los Angeles.
The Clippers also make sense for James, basketball wise. They have added PF John Collins and SG Bradley Beal this offseason to go along with holdovers PG James Harden, SF Kawhi Leonard, and C Ivica Zubac.
They have quality depth, so they can afford to deal away a couple of rotation players to get James. Still, even if James wants to play for the Clippers, the Lakers might not want to trade him to their in-state rivals.
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The Lakers shook up their franchise when they traded for Doncic last season. No longer being the face of the Lakers franchise might not sit well with James, who has never taken a back seat to anyone else during his career.
If he were to request a trade at some point, the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Knicks, and Clippers are all possible destinations for one of the NBA's all-time greats to finish his career.
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