LeBron James' stance on playing for Mavs is now crystal clear if new rumors are true

There's no doubt that the Dallas Mavericks have had a busy offseason despite only losing one player in free agency, that being Spencer Dinwiddie. While Dinwiddie's departure may sound like it hurts considering Dallas's need for guard depth, the reality is the Mavericks upgraded with D'Angelo Russell and Cooper Flagg, who is expected to handle the ball often until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear.

The Mavericks will, without a doubt, be one of the most interesting teams to watch next season, even with Irving sidelined. However, one narrative will continue to follow the team after a recent Marc Stein report detailed what could be one of the biggest moves the Mavericks could make next offseason.

The LeBron James to Dallas buzz reached an all-time high this summer as multiple reports left fans expecting the Mavericks to pounce on the 41-year-old superstar as his career begins to wind down. While James may be to looking for a new home in the back of his mind, the reality is he may be spending the next season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and finishing out his contract, but that doesn't rule out a possible departure next offseason.

The Mavericks are still on LeBron James' mind

Since the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers, there has been a clear shift within Los Angeles that should focus on the future and building around Doncic rather than continuing to try and be mediocre around an aging superstar like James. While James has proven over the last few seasons that he can still contribute to a winning roster despite being 40, the Lakers have quietly taken a step back this summer and sent a message to James that his time in Los Angeles could be coming to an end soon.

With James potentially on the move as soon as the coming trade deadline, the league is preparing for what could be an all-time trade. James is without a doubt not the player he once was, which is why trading and packaging multiple valuable contracts makes zero sense for a player likely retiring in the next few seasons, but the reality is, he in Dallas could be a destination worth exploring if recent rumors are true.

In a recent article, Marc Stein detailed that he thinks there is some "genuine curiosity" between James (subscription required) and the Mavericks and that he expects James to play an additional season before hanging up his jersey and calling it a career.

"I believe that James does have some genuine curiosity about playing in Dallas. Bear in mind that he is extremely settled off the floor in Los Angeles," Stein wrote. "To play elsewhere at this stage of his life and career could well require a landing spot that can provide a special level of comfort to take him away from all that. The Mavericks would seem to be uniquely suited to offer that with so many people in Dallas he already knows well, from general manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd to former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving."

Stein would go on to write that he expects James to play an additional season after this coming year, despite that just being a feeling. Stein also goes on to mention that for a player like James, it's hard to imagine him not playing his final year in the league and not telling people that he will be walking away from the game, which is why he feels like he will suit up for another season, and likely in a new destination.

With James' contract coming to a close after this coming year, the free agency market with James on the board will, without a doubt, become one of the most heated in recent memory. It's highly likely that whatever team James chooses for the 2026-27 NBA season will be where he spends the last 82 games of his career.

By all accounts, James has loved playing with Anthony Davis and Irving, which would give Dallas an ultimate edge over any other team willing to bring James onto their roster, but the likelihood of James wanting to sign with Dallas on a small one-year contract sounds unrealistic.

Still, the Mavericks will be a team to watch on the James sweepstakes as the 40-year-old begins to look for a new place to call home in what could likely be his final season.