Should Mavericks Be Considered a Long Shot to Sign LeBron James in Free Agency?

LeBron James is set to enter an offseason with the most uncertainty he's ever had in his career. He still played at a high level at 41 years old, as he averaged 20.9 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 6.1 RPG in 60 games this season.

James could enter free agency this offseason, re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, or retire. He's been in the NBA for 22 years, and although he's been holding off Father Time better than any athlete arguably ever, it will catch up at some point. In this stage of his career, he just wants to be competing for championships. He's the all-time leading scorer and leads the NBA in many other all-time statistics.

Would the Dallas Mavericks make sense as a possible landing spot for one of the greatest players in NBA history? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report thinks so, labeling the Mavs as one of five long shots in the running for LeBron James.

There is some logic behind it. James played under Jason Kidd and Frank Vogel when the Lakers won the championship in 2020, he won a championship with Kyrie Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and he played with Max Christie recently. However, this scenario seems entirely unrealistic.

Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Don't Expect LeBron James to be a Maverick

As interesting as it would be to see LeBron James play for the Dallas Mavericks, it's not what the franchise should be focusing on. The primary goal has to be building a team around Cooper Flagg by adding shooters and players who can grow with him on his timeline. No one in the NBA is further from Cooper Flagg's timeline than LeBron James.

That isn't to say that James and Flagg couldn't play together; players that smart will find a way. It just wouldn't make sense for the organization to go out of its way to make room for LeBron James at this stage in his career.

Irving and James probably would like to play together again, but the Mavericks don't have a lot of open roster spots this offseason. They could get more by trading players like P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, or Daniel Gafford, but they shouldn't do that for the chance at signing LeBron James. This isn't 2010.

Even with some reports indicating that LeBron James may be willing to take the veteran minimum, he's only going to do that if he has a chance to compete for a championship. The Mavericks aren't going to be competing for a championship next season.

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