{"id":704257,"date":"2026-04-08T00:21:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/704257\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T00:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:21:17","slug":"lebron-james-trade-pitch-nets-lakers-peyton-watson-of-nuggets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/704257\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron James Trade Pitch Nets Lakers Peyton Watson of Nuggets"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"LeBron\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> will soon face the prospect of losing arguably the greatest player in NBA<\/a> history for nothing in return, but that doesn\u2019t have to be how things end for LeBron James<\/a> in L.A.<\/p>\n

The talk of James leaving the Lakers following the 2025-26 season slowed down significantly after the team ripped off 16 wins over an 18-game stretch and appeared poised for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and a competitive playoff run.<\/p>\n

But injuries to Luka Doncic<\/a> and Austin Reaves<\/a> have all but closed the door on anything truly exciting materializing for Los Angeles this postseason, and options on how the Lakers might maximize James\u2019 exit to their own benefit have begun in earnest.<\/p>\n

Nick Wright of FS1 suggested on Tuesday, April 7 a sign-and-trade deal with the Denver Nuggets<\/a>, which sends James to Denver alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokic<\/a> and allows James to ink a contract above the league minimum for a contender.<\/p>\n

It also helps the Nuggets avoid the loss of Peyton Watson<\/a> for nothing, while slotting Watson in alongside Doncic and Reaves for the longterm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that the Nuggets are anticipating losing Peyton Watson<\/a>, who is a perfect fit for the Lakers as far as defensive wing \u2026 if both teams feel like if we\u2019re gonna lose LeBron, [and] if we\u2019re gonna lose Peyton Watson for nothing, trade with each other, both guys get paid,\u201d Wright said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Peyton Watson Player Type Lakers Seeking Around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves\"Peyton<\/p>\n

GettyPeyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n

Other possibilities for James following his age-41 campaign, should he decide to continue playing and forego retirement, include the Golden State Warriors<\/a> and the New York Knicks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, Wright doesn\u2019t believe those options offer James a legitimate shot at a title, which render them less likely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they could win a title in Golden State. I think New York, it would take a great LeBron season,\u201d Wright continued. \u201cDenver, to me, is increasingly fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Watson came back as part of the arrangement, the Nuggets would also seemingly be a better situation than any other where the Lakers\u2019 prospects are concerned. Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals per game in Denver this season while shooting 41.1 percent on 3.6 attempts<\/a> from behind the 3-point arc.<\/p>\n

But there is an argument that James returning to Los Angeles on a significantly reduced contract is the most logical, and likely, scenario if his retirement isn\u2019t on the table.<\/p>\n

LeBron James\u2019 Return to Lakers Makes Sense at Near League-Minimum Contract\"LeBron<\/p>\n

GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n

James is making $52.6 million<\/a> this season, which when cleared off the books over the summer will provide Los Angeles with much-needed funds to extend Reaves and rebuild the rest of the roster around Doncic with wing defense, as well as size and athleticism at the rim on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n

But James also fell nicely into an increasingly off-ball role as the team\u2019s third offensive option over the stretch run. Beyond that, his son remains a member of the Lakers organization.<\/p>\n

Thus, if James was willing to come back on a league minimum (approximated at nearly $4 million in 2026-27), or something close to it, his continued presence on the roster could be a significant plus rather than an impediment to the Lakers getting younger and more defensively focused moving forward.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMax Dible<\/a> covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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