The Lakers' stance on James has been revealed! They do not rule out the possibility of him going to the Knicks in the future, while the Mavericks are only considering signing him for the minimum salary?

On July 27, Beijing time, renowned reporter Stein reported that the Lakers would prefer to remove James' contract from the team's payroll after the end of next season. James' salary for next season is $52.6 million, which is also the final year of his contract. Stein stated that the Mavericks are not interested in trading for James and may only consider signing him for the minimum salary. Stein also mentioned that the possibility of James playing for the Knicks in the future cannot be ruled out.

Is this the last season of James' career with the Lakers?

“I believe that as August approaches, James will participate in his eighth Lakers training camp at the end of September, marking the longest continuous period he has played for the same team in his long GOAT career,” Stein wrote. “He has not requested a trade or a buyout during this offseason. He certainly knows that asking for a trade or a buyout does not guarantee that either situation will come to fruition.”

“I think this prediction is accurate because James' understanding of the dynamics of this league is on par with any player. Moreover, I believe thatdeep down, he knows that stating he will leave the Lakers next summer is no longer a threat.”In the first 22 seasons of his career, every team he played for worried about this, butthe Lakers' general preference for their future is to have James' contract disappear from the payroll after the 2025-26 seasonIf you carefully read Rich Paul’s statement when announcing the player option decision, you will find that it essentially hinted at this.”

The Lakers are now Luka's team. Luka has recruited Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart during this offseason, while Austin Reaves has recruited Jake LaRavia. Luka is only 26 years old, and as the all-time scoring leader in NBA history, James will turn 41 in December. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists for the Lakers, shooting 51.3% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range, and 78.2% from the free-throw line.

It is reported that Lakers coach J.J. Redick is expected to start Luka, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James, and Ayton next season, which could very well be James' last season with the Lakers.

Are the Mavericks only willing to sign him for the minimum salary?

For the Mavericks, James' salary is too high.

“As I have been reporting for weeks:They (the Mavericks) have not attempted to trade for him, and they also do not want to try if it means giving up several rotation players to acquire a player who will turn 41 in December,” Stein wrote. “If James suddenly becomes a free agent,they could sign him for the minimum salary, and that would be a different storyI firmly believe that in that case, they would want to have him.”

“But who really expects that to happen? James just made the All-Star second team last season. Do you think the Lakers would give up this season and buy him out in August or September, allowing him to join Dallas, Golden State, or New York? I don’t think so.”

James has many connections with the Mavericks. He has played alongside Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and D'Angelo Russell, and has been coached by Phil Handy and Jason Kidd.

Last season, the Mavericks traded Luka to the Lakers in exchange for Davis and Max Christie. After reaching the Finals in 2024, the Mavericks failed to make the playoffs last season.

Stein believesthat James is “indeed a bit curious” about what it would be like to play for the Mavericks.

“I believe James is indeed curious about playing in Dallas, considering that his off-court life in Los Angeles is very stable. For the past seven years, this has been the primary residence for his family, and he is building a new home in Beverly Hills. At this stage of his life and career, playing elsewhere would likely require a landing spot that offers a unique comfort to pull him away from all of this.”

The possibility of playing for the Knicks cannot be ruled out

Stein also stated that he “would never rule out” the possibility of James playing for the New York Knicks.

James loves Madison Square Garden, and Knicks president Leon Rose was his agent before Rich Paul took over.

“I believe it is well known that James loves playing at Madison Square Garden, so to say he will never be a member of the Knicks is unwise,” Stein wrote. “Given the historical connections between James' team and the Knicks' management—there are former partners of James, Leon Rose and William Wesley, within the management—I think it's hard to gauge whether the Knicks would be willing to bring him in, but I just want to say:I would never rule out the possibility of the number 23 jersey appearing on the Knicks one day. Because it is said that he loves that arena so much.”

In 2010, when James was a complete free agent, he met with the Knicks. But ultimately, he chose to sign with the Heat.

The Knicks' new head coach Mike Brown has previously coached James with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James will not play for New York next season, but in the 2026 offseason, he will become a free agent for the first time since 2018, and if he does not choose to retire, he may be interested in signing with the Knicks.