NBA Trade Rumors: LeBron James in hunt for teams ready to win a championship now as Lakers build around Luka Doncic

LeBron James‘ time with the LA Lakers could be coming to an end sooner rather than later. The latest NBA trade rumors suggest that James could seek a team ready to win a championship, especially once the Lakers begin building around Luka Doncic.

ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed on Monday’s episode of “SportsCenter” that James and his representatives know Rob Pelinka’s plans to make Doncic the main centerpiece of the franchise. It’s one of the reasons why the Lakers are only prioritizing two-year deals in free agency, hoping to preserve cap space in 2021.

Charania added that at some point, “The King” would evaluate his options and see the best situation for him to win his fifth NBA championship. The Lakers can’t win a title if they don’t have a proper roster, so James could look for a way out and finish his legendary career elsewhere.

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"LeBron James is very closely evaluating essentially how this goes with the Lakers and where he would want his career to be as he winds down," Charania said. "Whether it's one year left, two years left or three years left, what we're seeing right now is a moment of truth between LeBron James and the Lakers."

The LA Lakers managed to sign Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal, using part of their mid-level exception. The Lakers still need a center, and they missed out on Brook Lopez and Clint Capela.

Lopez joined the LA Clippers, while Capela decided to return to the Houston Rockets since his 2020 trade to the Atlanta Hawks. Another option for the purple and gold is Deandre Ayton, who shares the same agent as Luka Doncic.

4 teams interested in LeBron James

Despite turning 41 years old in December, LeBron James is garnering interest from at least four teams. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported on Monday that Rich Paul told him at least four mystery teams have contacted him about the possibility of acquiring "The King."

"(LeBron) hasn’t had any discussions with the Lakers about wanting a trade," McMenamin said on 'NBA Today.' "(Rich Paul) said four teams contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to talk trades, but Rich didn't have any substantive conversations with those teams either."

McMenamin reiterated that James' camp knows what a championship-caliber team looks like. The Lakers have some time to improve the roster, but with the way the Western Conference is built, it'll be hard to see the historic franchise reach a certain level with how limited the money they can use.

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About the author

Juan Paolo David

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry. 

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

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