Mavericks fans were waiting for Mavericks fans can exhale the LeBron James to Dallas madness is over.
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Lakers reporter just dropped the LeBron James rumor Mavericks fans were waiting for
Mavericks fans can exhale — the LeBron James to Dallas madness is over.
Over the last few months, the Dallas Mavericks have been surrounded by plenty of buzz from trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers to winning the draft lottery and selecting Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick. While it has been an up-and-down roller coaster ride for Mavericks fans, the team’s recent trade buzz would have sent Dallas fans headed down another downward spiral.
Since the beginning of the offseason, the Lakers have made it clear that they will be focusing on their future rather than the present, following the midseason trade that gifted them Doncic. Although it was increasingly looking like the Lakers would concentrate on their future throughout the season, LeBron James has been left in the dust of the Lakers’ past, and all signs are pointing to the two parties not having as seamless of a partnership as they once did.
With plenty of speculations and rumors circulating throughout the basketball world, it was falsely reported that the Mavericks were one of the four teams actively looking to trade for James. While trading for James, who is on a lucrative $52.6 million contract at the age of 40 years old, makes no sense, fake rumors continued to circulate about the Mavericks pursuing a trade for the four-time MVP, and it even influenced betting odds.
James to Dallas rumors finally get shot down for good in relieving fashion
After what seemed like a long stretch of months, where James getting traded to the Mavericks was inevitable according to fans on X, Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic have finally shot down the rumors that made zero sense to begin with.
“One team linked to James — the Dallas Mavericks — does not have interest in gutting their roster to match James’ salary in a trade, a team source told The Athletic.”
While it’s unclear what James’ future will be in Los Angeles, it’s easy to see that very few teams would be willing to gut their roster to trade for a 40-year-old whose future in the league is uncertain. James is no doubt still a great player and can contribute to a championship-caliber roster, but it’s highly unlikely any team in the NBA would be willing to trade multiple valuable assets for the chance at a retirement tour with James.
Once again, rumors have circulated over the past week that the Mavericks would only be interested in James in a potential contract buyout with the Lakers, but that move doesn’t make sense for Los Angeles, considering they would need to pay the one-time franchise savior a handsome amount of money for zero assets in return. While a contract buyout would be best for James, considering he could determine his future and where he signs, this is a move that makes zero sense for the Lakers.
It might not be the situation both parties want, but James will likely continue to be a Laker until at least the trade deadline or the end of next season, where Los Angeles could look to deal the 40-year-old in a potential package for either negative assets or to a team desperate to make that championship leap.
For Dallas, it didn’t make any sense to begin with, considering they would likely need to trade four or more contracts to acquire James, but it could have meant both P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford would have been sent to Los Angeles. This trade not only would have gutted Dallas’ depth, but all signs are pointing to Gafford being a huge part of the Mavericks’ next season due to injury concerns to both Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis.
While the James saga will continue for much of the summer and likely into the regular season, the Mavericks must do everything in their power to avoid temptation in a potential partnership with James.