The Dallas Mavericks have been unafraid to make some shocking deals in the past, but they might not have a chance to make another rumored blockbuster.
Last season, the Mavericks shocked the NBA world by sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The deal paired Doncic with Lakers superstar LeBron James, but it hasn’t resulted in much success on the court.
While it was shocking how quickly that duo came together, the Mavericks have been rumored to be interested in tearing that duo apart. All signs point to James being unhappy with the Lakers’ interest in building around Doncic and looking toward the future, prompting speculation about James’ future and whether he will stay in Los Angeles.
Recent reports have stated that the Mavericks are only interested in James if he is bought out, but that might not happen. Still, there has been other speculation that even without a buyout, James could make his way to Dallas or another destination in the summer of 2026, but ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel’s latest report gives another side to that story.
With all of the noise surrounding James’ potential next team, Siegel reported that the superstar might call it a career after next season. If James is planning to retire as a Laker, it could make sense to play out this contract and simply not sign another.
Considering the Mavericks have been linked to James more than any other team, that could be a crushing blow. Adding another star to the Davis-Kyrie Irving duo could have helped Dallas ascend to the top of the West.
Although signs were pointing to the Mavericks’ dreams of adding James having to wait a year, retirement in 2026 could mean that wait never ends.