5 Potential trade targets from the Lakers' downfall for the Dallas Mavericks

1. LeBron James

More of a pipe dream at this point, LeBron James has been a rumored target for the Dallas Mavericks for some time now ever since Kyrie Irving tried to recruit him last summer. Adding James to a lineup of Luka Doncic and Irving likely wouldn't mesh well, but it's worth a try.

Irving won an NBA Championship with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The Dallas guard has what it takes to play alongside multiple stars. He's an extremely malleable player, who can be used as a secondary playmaker or spot-up shooter.

However, a Doncic-James pairing is far more difficult to envision. Both players are far better with the ball in their hands. Doncic rarely scores from assists, as he prefers to probe the lane or take 3-pointers off the dribble.

James has become more of a spot-up scorer as he's approached retirement, but he's still a dominant on-ball scorer. Still, less than half of James' two-point attempts are unassisted. And at 39 years old, James ranks in the top 20 in the NBA in usage rate.

Acquiring James from the Lakers seems like an impossible task, especially for the Mavericks, but crazier things have happened. And with the Lakers in complete disarray, it's likely some rumblings of James' unhappiness begins soon.

Teaming back up with Irving may be just enough to lure James from Los Angeles. It appears the Lakers star will ultimately have his pick of what team he takes his talents to, but don't discount the Mavericks. Just a few months ago the Mavericks had the best odds of acquiring the all-time great.