Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

11-Year NBA Veteran Admits LeBron James' Top Trade Destination

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 1:33 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be at a crossroads with superstar LeBron James, as the future Hall of Fame forward could soon be leaving Hollywood. Of course, the 40-year-old is undoubtedly nearing retirement, but despite the initial assumption of playing out his career in LA, recent chatter suggests a trade could be his alternative.

Rather than signing a contract extension with the Lakers, James opted into a player option for the 2025-26 season, and the growing expectation is that it will be his last year in LA. Whether that means he leaves in unrestricted free agency next summer or LA trades him ahead of February's deadline, he is not expected to be with the Lakers for the 2026-27 season.

All signs point to the Lakers wanting to move on from LeBron James by the spring of 2026, per @ramonashelburne & @WindhorstESPN

“The Lakers had already made their statement in not offering James a contract beyond this season. It was abundantly clear that the 21-time All-Star's… pic.twitter.com/IRxU8lxlwv
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 11, 2025

Of course, if James hits the trade market, it will be under his own power, and he will likely control where he ends up. That severely limits his landing spots, but one potential destination that many have talked about is the Cleveland Cavaliers. 11-year NBA veteran and former Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas believes that Cleveland is the best landing spot for the legendary forward.

"The ideal is going back home to retire as a Cav makes perfect sense," Arenas said. "This is year 23, this is more of his legacy than it is what fans wanna see. If this is his last year, I'm pretty sure that it makes more sense to be a Cleveland Cavalier, to give your farewell tour to your city."

“Going back to retire as a Cav is more of [LeBron’s] legacy than fans want to see.”@GilsArenaShow discuss what LeBron should do in his final season in the NBA pic.twitter.com/b2wDMBifaD
— Underdog (@Underdog) July 8, 2025

Of course, James returning to Cleveland for one final year would be a storybook ending, especially as he continues to try to compete for a championship. The Cavaliers are in a position to help James get his fifth ring, and they would have the pieces around him where a 41-year-old would not have to be the star of the show.

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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