LeBron James’ career is coming to an end, but uncertainty about his future hangs throughout the NBA.
“King James” will play for the Lakers this year, but his 2024-25 team is a mystery. LeBron could choose to stay in Los Angeles for that game, but the cost would be $51.4 million, which is a high number for a 38-year-old player.
All teams want James, but the big question is which team can actually pay him $51.4 million or provide him with more money to change clubs in the 2024-25 season.
The New York Knicks have enough cap space to lure James. Their salary this year ranks only 12th in the NBA. Beyond that, they have players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and RJ Barrett, and this will be a tentative project.
The two big issues with this potential signing are coach Tom Thibodeau, who is typically a coach who doesn’t like to break up working schedules with big stars. The second condition is that the Knicks don’t seem ready to compete for the NBA championship ring in the 2024-25 season, and what James wants is to find another championship in the last season of his career.
The Dallas Mavericks are a team that is ready to be a champion and would be the most popular team in the NBA if they had LeBron on their side. The team led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is one of the most aggressive programs competing for a championship trophy.
Owner Mark Cuban’s portfolio appears to be large enough to attempt this trade. The key to the potential signing is Irving, who The Athletic reported in June had tried to convince James to join Luka Doncic in a “Big Three” with the Mavericks.
While the Knicks and Mavericks appear to be possible options for LeBron, it seems hard to imagine him changing his familiar comfort in Los Angeles for a season in New York or Dallas, two teams that aren’t exactly guaranteed to guarantee He has so much money.