LeBron James Trade Setback on Thursday Turns Heads
LeBron James recently picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, but has frequently been at the center of trade speculation over the past few days.
Advertisement
While that may seem like an oxymoron of sorts, the four-time NBA MVP who is heading into his 23rd NBA season made it clear through his agent, Rich Paul, that he hopes to contend for a title in what is the twilight of his career.
Unfortunately for him, the Lakers are now focused on building around Luka Doncic, whom they acquired in a trade in February of this past season. This unspoken tension has sparked trade rumors centered on James, but based on multiple reports, the interest in trading for the expensive 40-year-old superstar is minimal.
However, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported on Thursday that the Dallas Mavericks would be interested in adding James, but with the caveat that it would be via a buyout.
Advertisement
A new possibility that has certainly caught the attention of fans on social media.
"The entire league would be interested in a buyout LeBron James let's be serious," pointed out one user.
'I mean i dont see why he wouldnt want to come, Kyrie, Ad, Kidd, Vogel now," added a second.
"If LeBron is bought out then damn, prepare yourself Dallas because it only makes sense here," urged a third.
"This the only way I'd want bron on the team," said another.
"Good. Don't need to gut the team for that," suggested another.
"yo this is crazy bron a buyout? Yeah, right," commented one fan.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James' (23) trade rumors are rampant this summer.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
If the Lakers were to move on from James and he ended up in Dallas, he would be teaming up with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and this year's No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg.
Advertisement
It would also mark a reunion of sorts, as James won titles with Davis (2020) and Irving (2016). More importantly for James, it'd give him one final legitimate shot at a title before he hangs it up.
The Lakers don't have to buy him out or trade him, but it will be intriguing to see if this comes to fruition.
Related: Bronny James Breaks Silence on the Change in His Physical Appearance
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
31 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Most Important Packers: No. 17 — Devonte Wyatt
Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt is hoping for a big season. The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way. Overall, though, no one in the building was happy. The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building. 'We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said. 'I think it's time we started competing for championships.' Those are fair expectations. The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move. 'I think they're ready,' Gutekunst said. Now, it's time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right. Green Bay's first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the '30 Most Important Packers' heading into the 2025 campaign. At No. 17 is defensive tackle Devonte 17 Devonte Wyatt, DT Last season Wyatt was second on the team in sacks (5.0), quarterback hits (9.0) and tackles for loss (9.0) last season, despite missing three games with an ankle injury. He also had two fumble recoveries. Wyatt had three sacks, five quarterback hits and a fumble recovery in the first four games. Then he missed Weeks 5-7 and never had the same impact after returning on Oct. to date Wyatt was a first round draft pick in 2022 who spent the first three months of his rookie season primarily watching. In fact, after 13 games in 2022, Wyatt had just three pressures, no sacks and no quarterback hits. Wyatt's final four games — in which he had five pressures, 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits — gave the Packers hope that his potential could eventually lead to production. So Green Bay let starters Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed walk in free agency and increased Wyatt's role. In 2023, Wyatt began proving why he was a first round draft pick, posting 36 tackles (18 solo), 5.5 sacks, six tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback hits and a fumble recovery. Wyatt played 49.7% of the defensive snaps that season, tied for fourth on the team in tackles for loss and ranked fourth on the team in sacks and quarterback hits. The 6-foot-3, 304-pound Wyatt had just one elite season at Georgia. That came in 2021 when Wyatt had 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 14 starts on a Bulldogs team that won the national championship. Wyatt, who began his career at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Georgia, then went to the 2022 NFL Combine and ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.77 seconds — one of the fastest times by a defensive lineman. Physical gifts have never been an issue for Wyatt, though. It's the mental side. He scored an 8 on the 50-question Wonderlic test before the 2022 draft, less than half the NFL average of 19. 'That's a big deal. Don't kid yourself,' one NFL scout told me about low Wonderlic scores. 'Now some guys can overcome those scores. But a lot of times when guys bust, you go back and look and sure enough, that Wonderlic score was low.' Wyatt was also arrested in 2020 for three misdemeanor charges — family violence, criminal trespass, and damage to property. While the charges were later dropped, there were several questions about his character before the draft. 'Obviously he had a couple hiccups there at Georgia,' Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said after drafting Wyatt played 33.24% of the defensive snaps last year due to injury and a log jam up front. With T.J. Slaton's departure in free agency, Wyatt's role should increase dramatically. The Packers picked up Wyatt's fifth-year option in May, and his salary for 2026 will be $12.938 million. Both sides would like to get a long term deal done, though, making this a critical year for Said It … 'He's a quick twitch-up, twitchy defensive lineman and a guy that can really explode off the football. So, that is a benefit of this style of system where you're trying to, we're more of a penetrating front as opposed to like a read-and-react playing technique. You just want to try to create chaos and carnage in front of you by blowing up the man in front of you.' — Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Wyatt'D-Wy was probably our most consistent pass rusher from the inside this year.' — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Wyatt after the 2024 season'I definitely do love the system we're in. I'm a lot more comfortable and I can move a lot faster. Just being aware of what's going on in the system. … Definitely playing in this system for this first year, it gives me an advantage for next year and being in this system again.' — Wyatt on playing in the Packers' 4-3 defenseTHE TOP 30 • No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd • No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks • No. 28 — S Javon Bullard • No. 27 — WR Savion Williams • No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie • No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan • No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden • No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine • No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs • No. 21 — QB Malik Willis N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness • No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan • No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sparks, Azurá Stevens rally to beat Fever, 89-87, ending Indiana's 3-game winning streak
Rickea Jackson's short jumper with 58 seconds remaining put the Los Angeles Sparks on top for good in their 89-87 win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night. Jackson scored nine of the Sparks' final 10 points and finished with 15 in the game. Azurá Stevens led Los Angeles with 21 points, providing the final margin of victory on a free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining. She also grabbed 12 rebounds. Kelsey Plum added 20 points and improved her personal record against Indiana to 21-1, the highest winning percentage for a player in at least 20 games against a single team. Advertisement The Fever played their fifth consecutive game without Caitlin Clark, who continues to be sidelined with a left groin injury. Clark has missed 10 games overall this season, twice sitting out for five straight games. Indiana held an 60-52 lead with four minutes to go in the third quarter, but the Sparks ended the frame with an 18-9 run that gave them a 70-69 lead going into the final 10 minutes. Plum and Dearica Hamby (who finished with 18) each scored five points during that surge. Kelsey Mitchell continued her stellar play in Clark's absence, scoring 19 points for Indiana. She's averaged 21.6 points during the past five games. Natasha Howard added 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor, while grabbing nine boards. Advertisement Aliyah Boston dominated inside throughout the game, leading the Fever with 23 points and 12 rebounds. However, she missed a jumper with 0.1 seconds left that would have tied the score. Indiana missed its final five shots of the game. "[The Sparks] let the game come to them. We, on the other hand, really felt pressed," Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game. "We forced some shots, some quick shots, and didn't make them work as much as we could have on the defensive end." With the defeat, Indiana dropped to 9-9, putting them seventh in the WNBA standings. The Fever has gone 3-2 without Clark during her latest five-game absence. Up next for them is hosting the Golden State Valkyries (9-8) on Wednesday. The Sparks improved to 6-13, but sit in 10th place. They will face the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (16-2) at home on Thursday.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Twitter reacts to VJ Edgecombe's Sixers summer league debut
The Philadelphia 76ers began summer league on Saturday night when they took on the Utah Jazz in the Salt Lake City version. It was the first of three games the Sixers will play in Utah before heading out to Las Vegas on July 10. The Sixers took a tough 93-89 loss to the Jazz, but they have to be encouraged by the play of rookie guard VJ Edgecombe. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft showed off everything in his game as he scored 28 points with 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. He showed off his athleticism and made a few plays that showed off a surprising savviness for a player so young. Advertisement Also, Edgecombe won the individual battle with No. 5 overall pick, Ace Bailey who had eight points on 3-for-13 shooting with seven rebounds. NBA Twitter gave its best reaction to Edgecombe's debut for the summer Sixers as his NBA career began with an impressive showing: This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: NBA Twitter reacts to VJ Edgecombe's Sixers summer league debut
