Cavaliers Named New Favorites to Land LeBron James After Mavericks Report
After picking up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, LeBron James is once again entering a contract year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
As has been the case for the last few years, there is still a big question mark regarding James' future in Los Angeles. James is turning 41 years old in December, and there have been rumors about him possibly wanting to leave the team.
To this point, there have been no concrete reports about what the Lakers star's future with the team will look like. However, it seems that there is one team to keep an eye on: the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After being drafted first overall by the team in 2023, James had two separate stints in Cleveland from 2003-2010 and 2014-18. During his time with the Cavaliers, the Ohio native led the team to their first-ever NBA Championship in 2016. He last suited up for the team over seven years ago, but a return could be possible.
According to BetUS, the Cavaliers (+350) are the betting favorites to acquire James if he leaves the Lakers.
Previously, the Dallas Mavericks were the betting favorite to trade for the four-time champion. However, per the latest reports, the team is not interested in "gutting its roster" in order to acquire him (h/t Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic).
"One team linked to James — the Dallas Mavericks — does not have interest in gutting its roster to match James' salary in a trade, a team source told The Athletic," Woike and Vardon wrote.
Last season, James and the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves just a couple of months after trading for Luka Doncic. As the Lakers look to establish themselves as title threats, they will need their top stars to bring their A-game. Whether James will be around to help the team achieve their goal, however, remains to be seen.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani to publish children's book about his dog Decoy
Shohei Ohtani is a batter, a pitcher and now an author. The Los Angeles Dodgers star announced on Thursday that he is publishing a children's book entitled "Decoy Saves Opening Day," centered around his dog Decoy (aka. Dekopin). The book, published by Harper Collins, will be co-authored with Michael Blank, with pictures by Fanny Liem. It is due to hit store shelves on Feb. 3. The book's synopsis: Decoy can't wait to throw the first pitch on Opening Day of the new baseball season! The stadium has hot dogs, the biggest backyard he's ever seen, and thousands of his best human friends. It's going to be the best day ever, but—oh, no!—Decoy forgot his lucky baseball at home! Can he get his ball and make it back to the stadium before it's too late? Decoy, a Kooikerhondje, throwing a first pitch comes straight from reality, as he "threw" the first pitch at a game last year on a night the Dodgers gave away a bobblehead of him and Ohtani. It was extremely cute. Per Harper Collins, Ohtani hopes to use proceeds of "Decoy Saves Opening Day" to support animal rescue organizations. Decoy has been a featured player in Ohtani's life since the announcement of the 2023 American League MVP award, which Ohtani won unanimously in his final season with the Los Angeles Angels. Decoy, whose name was unknown until Ohtani's introduction with the Dodgers, immediately went viral while sitting on the couch with Ohtani on the broadcast and has since become beloved in both Japan and the United States.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Falcons predicted to trade for $1.25 million Browns run-stopper to add veteran help
The Atlanta Falcons seem to believe they've figured things out offensively with all the essential pieces now in place. That's why they've gone hard the last two years beefing up the other side of the ball. The Falcons have made six draft additions to their defensive front during that span. Last year's additions haven't quite worked out just yet, which is why they used not one, but two first-round picks in this year's draft — selecting Jalon Walker at No. 15 and James Pearce Jr. later at No. 26. Still, some of the Falcons' lingering issues on the defensive front could persist this season. Not only is Atlanta banking on second-year unknowns and rookies, but they'll be without veteran Grady Jarrett, who was cut this offseason. That leaves the door open for veteran help up front. AOL's Jordan O'Malley suggests one last-minute trade the Falcons could make before training camp is acquiring veteran defensive lineman Shelby Harris. 'Harris isn't a star, but he's a dependable veteran run-stopper, and that's exactly what Atlanta lacks in the middle,' O'Malley wrote. 'Atlanta's run defense ranked 26th in 2024, and their current interior group needs more experience. Harris would slot in immediately and bring toughness and leadership to a defensive line that needs both.' Harris will be entering his 11th NFL season. He's compiled 27.5 sacks and five forced fumbles throughout his career. He missed three games last season with an elbow injury. Financially, the move makes sense: the Falcons have just under $5 million in cap space, per Over The Cap, and Harris is owed $1.255 million in 2025. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp The Falcons' run defense left something to be desired last year. Statistically, they were around league average — ranking 15th in total rushing yards allowed (2,051), and surrendering 120.6 rushing yards per game. But the real problem came in critical moments. Opponents converted third downs 45.3% of the time, ranking Atlanta's defense 31st in the league. Falcons beat writer Tori McElhaney addressed these concerns directly while responding to a fan question about whether the team had done enough to fix its rush defense. 'Truth be told, it is a question I have myself. Because you're right that they are sticking with their own. And their own are in a little bit of uncharted waters at the moment. In fact, there are still a number of questions I have about Orhorhoro and the mantel he will take on in 2025, as well as the defensive front as a whole. Is Orhorhoro ready for the challenge presented? Can Zach Harrison emerge as a trusted playmaker (more on this in the next section)? How do new presences off the edge affect run defense numbers (i.e. how quickly can Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. make their presence known)? If better on first and second down, how does this improve pass rush stats?' Again, all the confidence in the 2025 Falcons is on the offensive side of the ball. The defense — not so much.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Biel and Charlotte FC visit Atlanta United
Charlotte FC (10-11-2, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta United FC (4-10-8, 12th in the Eastern Conference) Atlanta; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Atlanta United FC +113, Charlotte FC +199, Draw +270; over/under is 3.5 goals BOTTOM LINE: Pep Biel leads Charlotte FC into a matchup with Atlanta United following a two-goal outing against D.C. United. United is 4-10-5 in Eastern Conference play. United is 4-0-0 when it records at least three goals. Charlotte is 7-8-1 against Eastern Conference opponents. Charlotte ranks ninth in the league with 107 shots on goal, averaging 4.7 per game. The matchup Saturday is the second meeting this season between the two teams. Charlotte won the last game 2-0. TOP PERFORMERS: Aleksey Miranchuk has three goals and two assists for United. Jamal Thiare has three goals over the last 10 games. Biel has scored eight goals with nine assists for Charlotte. Patrick Agyemang has four goals and one assist over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: United: 2-4-4, averaging 1.2 goals, 3.5 shots on goal and 3.8 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.8 goals per game. Charlotte: 4-5-1, averaging 1.8 goals, 5.3 shots on goal and 4.6 corner kicks per game while allowing 2.0 goals per game. NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: United: Ajani Fortune (injured), Joshua Cohen (injured), Stian Gregersen (injured), Derrick Williams (injured). Charlotte: Souleyman Doumbia (injured), Nathan Byrne (injured). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press
