Could Mavs Make Blockbuster LeBron James Trade with Lakers?
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Simply put, the Los Angeles Lakers are stuck between a rock and a hard place this offseason.
To make LeBron James happy, the Lakers will likely need to swing a trade for Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving. However, there’s a good chance they’d have to part with at least one future first-round draft pick to get that done, and that’s not something the Lakers’ front office has been willing to do given the team’s severe lack of assets.
James, who averaged 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists last season at the age of 37, is entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers. He’s eligible for an extension this summer, but it’s yet to be seen if he’ll sign one or opt to hit the free agency market next summer. If James doesn’t sign an extension, the Lakers might have to consider trading him to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing.
Earlier this year on HBO's "The Shop," James talked about how a superstar he'd love to play with is Stephen Curry. However, during an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," Brian Windhorst offered his insight into which player to keep an eye on for potentially being James’ next superstar teammate. Spoiler alert: It wasn't Curry.
Windhorst says we should not count out the idea of James teaming up with Luka Doncic due to the expressed respect for the Slovenian superstar.
"(LeBron) talked about how much he admires Luka Doncic. And that is something you should put in your back pocket,” said Windhorst. “Don't ever judge LeBron 100 percent on his words. Judge him on his actions.
"The best way you can see how LeBron feels about people is who he drafts in his All-Star draft. ... He's drafted Luka Doncic all three years he's been an All-Star."
The passing ability of a Doncic-LeBron duo would be remarkable, given they each have given defenses nightmares for their half-court orchestration and ability to convert difficult passes. Both are tough shot makers and are a load to handle when they attack the rim.
With James being in the latter stage of his career, he could become more of a screener and orchestrate DHOs in the two-man game with Doncic. James could often face an out-of-rotation defense as a short-roll playmaker with how often teams blitz, show-and-recover, or just outright double Doncic.
The respect James has expressed for now Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is something that should not be understated either. The Lakers won a championship with Kidd as an assistant coach, and James has commonly advocated for Kidd as a coach.
While it remains to be seen what the future holds for James, there's been no shortage of recent possibilities put out in the NBA news cycle. Kevin Love explained how returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers could be a storybook ending to James' career. There's even been a suggestion of an LA Clippers trade.
If LeBron James really wants to play with Luka Doncic, and for Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks, GM Nico Harrison will find a way to get it done. The biggest hurdle is confirming whether that’s something James truly wants or not.
One thing is for sure: James’ championship window would be expanded wider than it’s been in two years if he found himself in Dallas for next season.
