LeBron James may have preferred offseason move to rival team

While LeBron James ultimately decided to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for at least one more season, there is some reason to believe that might not necessarily have been his preferred outcome.

John Hollinger of The Athletic suggested in his notes column Monday that a return to the Lakers was not necessarily “at the top of his wish list.” Hollinger suggested that the many whispers about him being interested in the Dallas Mavericks might have had some truth to them.

When the James trade rumors were at their peak, the Mavericks were considered the heavy favorites to land him. The team boasts two of James’ former teammates in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, as well as No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. It is unclear how the Mavericks might have tried to pull off that sort of move, and it does not seem that the Lakers were ever all that interested in finding out.

Hollinger adds that James’ situation could bear watching if the Lakers get out to a slow start next season. At that point, the team might be able to get some value out of trading James, while the star forward would retain his Bird rights and maximize his earnings in future contracts with his new team.

James and the Lakers have not necessarily been on the exact same page this offseason. Now that the Lakers have Luka Doncic to build around, the situation with James has become somewhat more complex. For that reason alone, it does not appear likely that the rumors will be going away anytime soon.