With star forward LeBron James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers up in the air, the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks are two of the teams that have been linked to the 40-year-old in speculation or rumors.
Both Dallas and New York stand out as intriguing landing spots for James for different reasons. The Knicks just recently made a deep playoff run and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Plus, the East could be up for grabs this coming season with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers among the teams expected to take major steps back compared to the season prior.
However, the New York Post‘s Stefan Bondy poured cold water on the idea of James landing with the Knicks with a post on X.
For the LeBron-to-Knicks speculation, I checked on it and the answer was, “No. Makes for good chatter but no.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) July 3, 2025
As for the Mavericks, James joining Dallas would give him a chance to play alongside some star players he’s had success with in the past in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
But according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Mavericks would only be interested in acquiring James under certain circumstances. Specifically, it would have to be a buyout situation.
REPORT: The Mavs would only be interested in LeBron James in a buyout situation, per @mcten pic.twitter.com/7tmyrN5O5U
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) July 3, 2025
The Mavericks and Knicks already have capable small forwards in the fold regardless of whether James heads their way or not.
But even with neither team nursing a glaring hole in that area, acquiring James would still make sense as a short-term option to further aid the Mavericks or Knicks as they hunt for a title in the here and now. That’s especially true since James can play virtually anywhere on the floor and isn’t limited to just one position.
Regardless, folks shouldn’t count on James landing with either team in light of the reports from Bondy and McMenamin.
James is the oldest active NBA player, but folks shouldn’t mistake his age for weakness, as he remains a premier player in all of basketball. He still has a unique knack for contributing across the stat sheet, as he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game with the Lakers in the 2024-25 season.
