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Where Should LeBron Finish His Career

LeBron James might be on the move yet again. After seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is reportedly disgruntled and could be leaving Hollywood. As he approaches a whopping 23 seasons in the NBA, where should LeBron James finish his career?

This won’t be the first time LeBron leaves. James spent 7 years with the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers before announcing he would take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat in the big decision special on ESPN. After overpromising and underdelivering multiple championships to Miami, he was able to bring the city two championships and four consecutive Finals appearances before returning to the Cavaliers for four more years and helping them win a championship as well. Then, after that time, LeBron would leave for the Lakers, grow his brand outside of basketball, win a championship with the Lakers after Kobe Bryant’s passing, and it seemed to be a perfect final destination for his career.

It seemed even more perfect when the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic right before this year’s trade deadline. In what seemed like Shams Charania’s account was hacked, the NBA insider broke the sudden news that the Lakers traded for Doncic. Pairing one of the best basketball players of our generation with an up-and-coming superstar seemed too good to be true. But rather than giving LeBron an All-Pro who hasn’t even entered his prime, it seems like the Lakers are shifting their focus from catering to LeBron and starting to embrace Luka Doncic. This has seemingly upset LeBron and rumors suggest he’s ready to move on.

So we’re looking at potentially the fourth time LeBron has changed teams, and there’s a report by Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers have all contacted the Lakers and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, about acquiring LeBron. While this is just a rumor at this point, this news has been picked up by other outlets like Yahoo and ESPN.

Of these four teams, where does it make sense for LeBron to conclude his playing career?

4 — Los Angeles Clippers

Of the four teams Robinson reported had been in direct contact with LeBron’s agent, the Clippers make the least amount of sense. The Clippers rely solely on James Harden, who will be 36 years old next month, and 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who hasn’t played 70+ games since the 2016-17 season under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs. Adding LeBron James, who turns 41 this year, doesn’t move the needle without much surrounding them. And what pieces do the Clippers have that would make the trade alluring for the big-brother Lakers?

3 — Golden State Warriors

The Warriors would be intriguing. We’d imagine LeBron would be paired with both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, with Draymond Green and/or restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga being used in the trade. But does this do much for LeBron’s legacy if he teams with Curry, the guy who beat him in multiple Finals before? LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, who both played for Miami, teaming together and potentially winning a title in another uniform would be a weird parallel universe for Heat Nation. But acquiring Butler at the deadline showed the Warriors are all-in on getting another run in Curry’s twilight years, so why not add another twilight player who can help you get over the hump?

2 — Dallas Mavericks

This is where the Mavericks get intriguing, in the tax-free state of Texas. Dallas has two former championship-winning teammates of LeBron, both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. The Mavericks have Cooper Flagg, who is dubbed the next generational player. Beyond that, the Mavericks could use D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, or Daniel Gafford in a trade package for LeBron. It wouldn’t take all of those players to get LeBron for a year or two, so any you would keep is an added bonus. But adding LeBron in the “win-now” mode that Nico Harrison wants the Mavericks in would make sense.

1 — Cleveland Cavaliers

This seems like a cruel joke. Would LeBron go back to the Cavaliers yet again to help deliver a championship? It’s a fairytale ending for LeBron to retire as a Cavalier and hoist the trophy above his head one final time. The Cavaliers were the 1-seed in the East last year with a 64-18 record. The Cavaliers don’t have many pieces to give up in the deal, but as long as the Cavaliers keep Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, this team could compete with adding LeBron James. LeBron averaged 24.4 PPG last year, the lowest since his rookie season, so he’s not playing at the level to be a #1 option, but he could be Mitchell’s #2 and provide Cleveland that extra lift in the postseason.


Until LeBron retires or is traded to a new team, the rumors will continue to spread across the NBA. Of these four teams, where does it make the most sense for LeBron to finish his career? Is there a dark horse team we should be watching out for? Let us know in the comments section below.

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