LeBron James has reportedly picked up his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of his 23rd NBA season, but doubts remain about whether he’ll continue to rep the franchise. Rumors of a move are heating up, with many suggesting he’s eyeing a team that could give him one last shot at championship glory. One team “The King” has been linked to is the Dallas Mavericks, but before that theory could gain traction, Tim MacMahon stepped in to shut it down completely.
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The ESPN insider addressed the topic during today’s broadcast of NBA on ESPN. MacMahon was asked to respond to fellow analyst Dave McMenamin, who said he was “told” that the Mavericks would only be interested in LeBron under a buyout scenario.
MacMahon initially played along, seeming to agree, before flipping the script with a brutal takedown of the entire idea. He argued that the franchise, which just drafted Cooper Flagg to contend for a title, would have to give up nearly all of its rotation players to make a LeBron move work. In his eyes, it’s ridiculous.
“It completely makes sense,” he said sarcastically. “Is there a deal to be made, a trade from the Mavericks to get LeBron? You could punch it up in the trade machine. All the Mavericks have to do is completely gut their rotation. Give up guys like Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. Maybe a Naji Marshall, Max Christie.”
He wasn’t done there either. “You’re giving up three or four rotation players for a potential ring-chasing retirement tour? That doesn’t make sense for Dallas. It doesn’t make sense for LeBron because he has a no-trade clause. ‘Hold on, I want to play with those guys, not have them go to LA.'”
It’s a solid retort to the original story. Why would Dallas, who are still trying to rebuild their image after trading away Luka Doncic, be willing to throw away all of its assets just to bring in LeBron? And on the flip side, why would LeBron walk away from LA now, especially after they added the Slovenian superstar and just brought in Deandre Ayton, a much-needed upgrade at the big man spot?
MacMahon knows that rumors spread faster than the truth, so he addressed the initial report McMenamin was told, and then shut it down even further. “There is curiosity around the league. Could this end with LeBron bullying his way to a buyout? No,” he barked. “Why would the Lakers do that? I don’t have a good answer for that one.”
That said, he did agree that the only way LeBron would be wearing a Mavericks uniform next season is through a buyout, if there’s any chance at all. “That is the only path I could see for LeBron James to come join Kyrie, Anthony Davis, a couple of his former championship teammates in Dallas,” he stated.
Again, it seems completely unrealistic that LeBron would even want to move on from the Lakers. He’s played a major role in helping the team rebuild its brand after some tough years following Kobe Bryant’s retirement. And now, with Doncic to lean on for the long run, the team has a clear direction. If LeBron is serious about one final run at a ring, LA still feels like the best place for it.
One of the biggest reasons the Lakers were so easily handled in the postseason was their lack of size, and Ayton should help fill that gap. And LeBron, even at 40, is still one of the best players in the league. If this really is his last ride, he might as well go out swinging with one of the most prestigious franchises in the world.
