The bombshell revelation that multiple teams have expressed interest in trading for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has shocked the NBA.
James’ future with the Lakers has been the subject of plenty of speculation in the offseason – which only ramped up on Saturday night.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin invited James onto a broadcast of an NBA Summer League game featuring his son Bronny James to address his future – only for LeBron to reply, ‘I ain’t got nothing to talk about’.
However, McMenamin did report that four NBA teams had reached out to the Lakers to try and acquire him.
While McMenamin didn’t reveal the identities of the four teams in his report, others later revealed those who were interested.
According to NBA insider Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, the teams hoping to make a move for James are the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Mavericks, Warriors, Cavaliers, and Clippers have interest in trading for LeBron James
LeBron shut down a chance to address his future with the Lakers live on ESPN on Sunday
James’ future with the Lakers has been subject to speculation all offseason long
The biggest surprise on this list might be the Mavericks, considering the two teams were at the center of a shocking trade in the middle of the season when the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic while sending Anthony Davis and other pieces to Dallas.
For the Mavericks to now turn around and want James would be a bit surprising. However, it would re-unite him with Davis and former teammate Kyrie Irving.
LeBron would also serve as something of a mentor to the Mavericks’ first-round draft pick, Cooper Flagg. James previously praised Flagg after a training session before the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Turning to Golden State, James would get the chance to be teammates with Steph Curry for the first time in a non-Team USA capacity. James would also form an aging ‘Big Three’ with Curry and mid-season acquisition Jimmy Butler.
But LeBron also has a weird history with Golden State – having faced them in four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2018 as a member of the Cavaliers. LeBron would win the 2016 Finals, but lost the other three appearances.
Which brings us to Cleveland. If the Cavs traded for him, it would be LeBron’s third stint with his hometown team and would serve as a fitting team for him to retire on.
Cleveland also is in the midst of a competitive window having finished atop the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season.
Finally, there’s the Clippers. LeBron would be able to switch to a more competitive team while staying in the same city. Plus, adding him to a roster with the likes of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ben Simmons would be a strong lineup.
However, it would be something of a surprise if the Lakers decided to trade one of their biggest stars to their cross-town rivals.
The Clippers and Lakers have only been partners in seven trades throughout their history, with the most recent one involving just the two teams coming in 2019 – when the Lakers gave up Michael Beasley and Ivica Zubac to the Clippers for Mike Muscala.
