The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the most unexpected blockbuster trades in recent NBA memory, landing Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis.<\/p>\n
A new report suggests the Lakers could top that with an even bigger trade, naming the Mavericks as a potential destination if LeBron James hits the trade block.<\/p>\n
James chose to opt in to the final year of his contract for the Lakers for $52.6 million, but The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that there are growing rumors among front offices that the move could be a precursor to a trade.<\/p>\n
Fans Pick Their Early NBA Finalists<\/strong><\/p>\n “The speculation was rampant all around the league when news of James\u2019 decision broke, with rival executives wondering if this was a precursor to a trade request (James, remember, has a no-trade clause and could thus control any such move),” Amick wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n Amick added that there are differing opinions, with some believing that James is just pushing the Lakers to build a title-contendeing team for what could be his final NBA season.<\/p>\n “Or, of course, it could be yet another attempt to apply pressure to the front office to find a way to add impactful talent,” Amick wrote. “Either way, it\u2019s becoming increasingly clear that \u2014 even if James doesn\u2019t retire next summer \u2014 this could be his last season in a Lakers uniform.”<\/em><\/p>\n Lakers reporter Jovan Buha suggested that the Mavericks could be a destination for James if he indeed hits the trade block.<\/p>\n “If LeBron asks out, keep an eye on Dallas,” Buha noted.<\/p>\n While it could come as a surprise for the Lakers to send another star to Dallas, The Athletic’s Amick suggested the Lakers are primarily concerned with the long-term future and finding a new co-star for Doncic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the most unexpected blockbuster trades in recent NBA memory, landing Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74666,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n