How the Dallas Mavericks Can Capitalize Off LeBron James’ Free Agency

The Dallas Mavericks are not going to be on LeBron James’ mind when free agency starts this offseason. However, the Mavs should still be closely monitoring the situation surrounding the superstar as he chooses his next home. Here are the ways the Mavs could capitalize off of James’ decision.

It is very possible that the 4x NBA MVP could stick around in Cleveland and put to rest any speculation that he is looking to leave for another team. But the consensus at the moment is that James will be at the very least interested in pursuing outside opportunities as he considers his options going forward.

In the event that James stays in Cleveland, there is not much that the Mavericks could look to take advantage of in terms of a salary dump or cap casualties. But if James leaves, there will be opportunities for the Mavs.

Here are some of the teams he may consider this summer.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers seem to have cemented themselves as the early favorites for James with three weeks to go before free agency kicks off. While the Lakers don’t have a defined star already waiting for his services in a Laker uniform, they do possess several key assets that will make their pitch extremely attractive. Magic Johnson, now in charge of the personnel department with the Lakers, traded away the guaranteed contracts of Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., while taking on the expiring deals of Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye.

The Lakers managed to clear cap space in order to make room for either Paul George, LeBron James or even both. If the Lakers want to sign James to a max contract however, they will have to part with several intriguing players to make the finances work. Magic Johnson would first try to rid himself of the catastrophic contract still being paid to Luol Deng by attaching draft compensation to the deal, but the Mavs should stay far away from a deal that will count a combined $37 million against the cap over the next two years.

Instead, the Mavs should consider other options. James’ arrival would mean that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be on his way out of town. The Lakers signed him to a one year deal last summer worth just under $20 million, knowing that their pursuit of max free agents the year after would render Caldwell-Pope a rental. But the most realistic option for the Mavericks comes with either Julius Randle or Brandon Ingram.

Ingram was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Duke, and while it took him a little while to get his legs under him, he has improved each year and has become the team’s most consistent offensive threat. Because of how high he was picked in the draft, Ingram’s contract is at $5 million, which the Lakers may be looking to unload should LeBron James decide to add himself to their payroll.

The other option is Julius Randle. The Dallas native is a restricted free agent, which will technically make it even harder for the Lakers to retain him. A rich deal that comes in at over $15 million per year will be tough for the Lakers to match with a new max contract already on the books, and would shove them dangerously near the tax line without even finding a secondary star to put next to LeBron James.

Next: 2. Philadelphia 76ers