LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, continues to fuel trade chatter as the Lakers’ offseason unfolds under heavy scrutiny. It’s been widely reported that James is watching every front-office move, with one goal in mind: chasing that elusive fifth championship. Though the 21-time All-NBA forward just picked up his hefty $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Questions about his long-term commitment to L.A. persist. And now, Deandre Ayton’s latest comments have added another spark to an already flickering fire.
After last season’s early playoff flameout, the Lakers entered free agency with one mission: land a rim-protecting, lob-finishing big. They did just that by signing 26-year-old Deandre Ayton, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, to a two-year deal. Ayton arrived in L.A. this week, held his introductory presser, and made the media rounds. But during a sit-down with ESPN LA, a moment quietly stirred up fresh intrigue. When asked if any Lakers stars had reached out, Ayton confirmed he’d heard from Luka Doncic. But not from LeBron James. While it’s still the offseason and might mean nothing, fans didn’t miss it. In a league where superstar texts often shape entire rosters, the silence raised a few well-earned eyebrows.
Now, one of LeBron James’ closest insiders, Nick Wright, decided to weigh in on the silence. And naturally, he didn’t hold back. On his latest segment of his ‘What’s Wright? With Nick Wright’ podcast, Wright broke down what might really be behind LeBron’s radio silence toward Ayton. Wright said, “Option one, busy guy forgot. I guess option two is not that busy, didn’t forget, but has some feud with Deandre Ayton and we didn’t know about and he’s furious about this trade.” Sure, all of them sound like reasonable possibilities in the drama-soaked world of NBA politics. But is it really just that simple? Or is there a deeper message in LeBron’s silence?
Nov 15, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Nick Wright didn’t stop at wild hypotheticals; he laid out percentages. And if truth be told, the numbers spoke volumes. As next Wright said, “I would put LeBron expects to be a Laker. But wants to keep the screws on the Lakers to continue to make moves as the reason for him not reaching out. I would put that at 65%, I think that is the biggest percentage here. I would put LeBron didn’t reach out because he does not think he’s going to be a Laker next year at 20%.” Honestly, it’s not shocking. Rumors have been flying for weeks about James’ uneasiness in purple and gold. Some insiders have even started predicting possible landing spots if things unravel.
Could Dallas Mavericks be LeBron James’ next stop?
In today’s NBA, you can never rule out chaos. The Dallas Mavericks proved that last season when they shocked the world by dealing Luka Doncic, a move that rewrote every rule about untouchables in this league. And now, rumblings suggest another blockbuster might be brewing.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz recently floated a trade idea that’s already making waves. His proposal sends LeBron James to Dallas in exchange for Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington. If it somehow happens, then it would be a package that works financially and adds veteran firepower to L.A.
Katz noted draft picks could complicate things. “Teams wouldn’t be excited about giving up chunks of their future to acquire a 40-year-old, even if there’s never been a 40-year-old as good as James is now,” he wrote. And that’s the catch. While landing LeBron would give Dallas undeniable star wattage, it only makes sense if they’re convinced they can chase a title right now. With Kyrie Irving’s health always a question and his future uncertain after recent comments, it’s a risky play.
Will it happen? Hard to say. Because there is so many speculations going on regarding LeBron’s next stop. But if there’s one truth in the modern NBA, it’s this, no deal is ever too wild. So, what do you think? Would you pull the trigger or let this one die on the trade machine? Feel free to drop your take in the comments.
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