Dave McMenamin report on LeBron’s future with the Lakers

McMenamin reports he spoke directly to LeBron for the sources pic.twitter.com/zDwZg39TzX

— LakeShow Highlights (@LSH_lakeshow) July 13, 2025

It’s one of the more intriguing stories of the 2025 NBA offseason: after LeBron James exercised his $52.6 million player option last month, a statement from agent Rich Paul about how James wanted to play for a contender ignited all kinds of trade rumors.

And now, there’s one more to add to the pile. Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, four teams have inquired into a trade involving James since that statement dropped. Which teams were they?

That’s the part we have no idea about. But we decided it’s a good time to speculate and figure out who picked up the phone inquiring about getting James in for a title run. Let’s run through four candidates that are TOTAL SPECULATION as the LeBron trade rumors swirl.

There’s been some chatter about this franchise perhaps having interest in LeBron, and it makes a little bit of sense — the team is a contender, a trade might be possible and could give the Lakers a pretty good return … but it feels too soon to blow up the core of a team that was this close in 2024-25. We’ll see. But I think Leon Rose at least picked up the phone.

It’s the perfect end to James’s career: where it all started. He’s an Ohio native, he was drafted there, he eventually won a title for the Cavs … and now they look like a favorite in the East that might need one more player to push them over the edge. Storybook! Their front office has to be on the list, right?

Golden State Warriors

The Steph Curry and Draymond Green core is approaching Last Dance territory … and we’ve always wanted to see Steph and Bron play in the NBA together. Maybe there’s a trade to be had and LeBron wouldn’t have to leave California. It would make sense if they at least inquired.

This is my total out there guess. With Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and James Harden, they’re a dark horse in the West. Adding John Collins in a trade and Brook Lopez means they’ve got an intriguing roster. What if the pitch here is: “Hey, LeBron: you don’t even have to move houses?” I’d say it’s worth at least a phone call.