Interest from the Golden State Warriors in acquiring LeBron James has been well-chronicled, having started 18 months ago at the 2024 mid-season trade deadline when they inquired directly with his agent Rich Paul.
With the Luka Doncic era well and truly underway at the Los Angeles Lakers, James' future has been a massive talking point this offseason despite the fact he willingly opted into his player option for next season.
The Warriors are sure to have interest in James should he become truly available, but they may not be the leading suitor with another Western Conference rival emerging as a potential next destination for the 4x MVP.
LeBron James may have some curiosity in playing for the Mavericks
In a detailed piece on Saturday for his Substack, NBA insider Marc Stein outlined his belief "that James does have some genuine curiosity about playing in Dallas." Stein alluded to the obvious links between James and multiple members of the Mavericks organization, starting with head coach Jason Kidd along with former teammates Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis -- the latter of which was sensationally traded for Doncic earlier in the year.
Stein's article mentioned three teams that could have interest in James, adding the Warriors and New York Knicks to the mix as the 40-year-old prepares for a remarkable 23rd season in the league.
"I believe that the Warriors, who have shown an interest in acquiring James dating to the February 2024 trade deadline some 18 months ago, will remain in the mix if James ever does reach the point that he's looking for a last hurrah elsewhere," Stein wrote.
It's easy to see why Dallas might be a more attractive destination, having just got the luck of a lifetime in falling into the No.1 overall pick and promptly taking future star Cooper Flagg. Golden State would have to hope that James is truly incentivized by the idea of playing alongside Stephen Curry, with the superstar duo having led Team USA to the Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
The Warriors may find it easier to execute a trade for James, but only if they're willing to swap out their own star in Jimmy Butler which would undoubtedly cause significant debate within the front office.
In contrast, assuming the Mavericks would want to keep Davis and Irving, they would have to package up a combination of Warrior legend Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and one of Caleb Martin or Naji Marshall just to match salaries. A 4-for-1 trade would suddenly get very complicated, particularly when the Lakers are trying to retain as much flexibility as possible.
James' preference means more than anything if he were to depart Los Angeles though, with a no-trade clause allowing him to block any move that isn't to the destination he wishes to go.
There has been talk of a potential buyout which would allow James to walk anywhere and potentially on a minimum contract, but that makes little sense for the Lakers and is not seen as a realistic pathway at this stage.