LeBron James’ next move is still being framed by the same two names: Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
According to the latest report on James’ free agency, the league’s all-time leading scorer is waiting to see whether one of his rumored destinations - the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors or Philadelphia 76ers - can land Irving or Davis before he commits. That keeps Dallas and Washington in the middle of the conversation, with both teams now having to protect the players James reportedly wants beside him.
For Dallas, the answer on Irving sounds pretty firm, at least right now. New head coach Dusty May made clear during his introductory press conference that he expects to lean on the veteran guard.
"Kyrie knows what it takes to win a championship, so as a first-time NBA coach, I'm going to lean on him in a lot of areas," May said via Ron Harrod Jr. "He's one of the greatest point guards to ever play our game. He's a jazz musician, so I can't wait to be around him every day and just help him on his journey."
That doesn’t read like a team preparing to move him.
Washington has been just as direct about Davis. Wizards GM Will Dawkins has repeatedly dismissed the idea of the veteran center being dealt.
"We kind of don't worry too much about that stuff. Like AD's in D.C. and wants to be in D.C., we're going to keep them there. I think the important thing for us is just building on the summer and kind of making sure we're ready to go at the beginning of the year," Dawkins said earlier this month.
So if James is truly waiting on one of those stars, the path gets complicated fast. Dallas and Washington are not going to hand over foundational pieces just because James or Rich Paul wants them moved. Any deal would have to bring back a serious package.
And that raises the bigger question: would a team like the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors or 76ers actually be better after paying the price to get Irving or Davis? Or would James be better off simply signing with the team that already has the player he wants?
Both Dallas and Washington already have strong young talent in place, along with the two players James has reportedly identified as preferred teammates. That makes the simplest route look like the strongest one.
Washington would be a shock to everyone, but Paul did include Dallas on his whiteboard of James’ potential landing spots.
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