Mavericks' LeBron James trade rumors finally take the unexpected turn fans wanted

Over the past week or so, LeBron James' name has been circulating in trade rumors after he opted into his player option, as Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha mentioned that there has been some LeBron-to-Dallas "buzz" over the last few weeks within the NBA world, and ever since then, Dallas Mavericks fans have speculated about James heading to Dallas to unite with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Cooper Flagg.

With James being on an expiring contract (as of now), Dallas would obviously have to trade for him, but recently, Lakers insider Dave McMenamin of ESPN made the Mavericks' stance on a potential trade pursuit of James clear. McMenamin stated that the Mavs are not interested in trading for James, and they would only be interested in signing him if he were bought out by the Lakers.

While it seems as if every team in the NBA would be interested in James if the Lakers were to buy out his contract, as he remains a top 10-15 player in the league, McMenamin making it clear that Dallas won't pursue a trade for James is great news for Mavs fans.

Mavericks only want LeBron James under one circumstance

While adding James to this loaded Mavericks roster would undoubtedly make them even more dangerous, trading for him would have been disastrous.

Dallas would have been forced to gut their depth to match James' $52.6 million contract, and that would have possibly included having to get rid of players like Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford. If this year's playoffs proved anything, it's that you must have depth to win in today's NBA, and the Mavs trading all of their depth for a 40-year-old superstar on an expiring contract would have been an accident waiting to happen.

On the other hand, the Mavericks being interested in signing James if he were bought out by the Lakers is an intriguing option, as this would be a low-risk, high-reward move that could ultimately lead Dallas to the promised land. If James were willing to sign a veteran minimum contract with the Mavericks, Dallas would immediately have one of the most stacked rosters in the league, and they would be in the same tier as teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.

James would help fill a major playmaking hole within the Mavs' roster until Irving returns from injury, and this type of move would turn the entire league upside down.

Fans would be flocking to Dallas after they were the most scrutinized team in the NBA for trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers just a few months ago, and James joining the Mavericks would be a complete 180 from the saga that has transpired in Dallas.

Dallas already has a new sense of life, as the city is ecstatic about Flagg being drafted with the No. 1 pick and becoming one of the new stars of the team, but James joining the squad for a year on a veteran minimum contract would inject an entirely new sense of excitement into the fan base.

Adding a unanimous top-two NBA player of all time to a Mavericks roster that includes Flagg, Davis, Irving, Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and several other excellent role players would have the rest of the league shaking in their boots, and it would give Nico Harrison's team a great shot at winning the title he desperately craves.

Last season for the Lakers, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from downtown. James' addition to this Mavericks roster would give them a trusted ball handler and playmaker that the team desperately needs while Irving is out, and he would get to reunite with D'Angelo Russell and Davis in Dallas.

Many members of the Mavericks' coaching staff already have a sense of familiarity with James' game, as they coached him in Los Angeles, and him getting bought out by the Lakers just to come to Dallas would be one of the craziest sequences in NBA history, considering everything that has transpired over the last few months. Mavs fans should be thankful that Harrison has no interest in trading for James, and landing him as a potential free agent (if he were to somehow get bought out, regardless of how slim the chances are), would be a huge win for Dallas as they try to gear up to win their second NBA Championship in team history.