For the first time in his career, LeBron James will play an NBA season on an expiring contract. While he has opted into his deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, the lack of an extension has fueled speculation that he may get traded.
Whether or not it turns out to be true remains to be seen. However, if the Lakers traded him, it doesn’t seem likely they would trade him to a team with the same aspirations, ruling out several rumored destinations.
Why Did Nick Wright Shut Down LeBron James-to-Denver Talk?
Since Nikola Jokić’s agent came up with an Instagram post with a caption hinting at James joining the Nuggets next summer, rumors have circulated that James may head to Denver after this season. However, FS1’s Nick Wright denied that James could become a Nugget on “First Things First.”
“I can report unequivocally that this tweet or Instagram caption about LeBron playing on the Denver Nuggets next year is unequivocally 100 percent false. There is a zero percent chance that LeBron is on the Nuggets a year from now. That’s not my opinion. I know that,” Wright said.
What Makes Denver an Unrealistic Destination for James?
Even if James were interested in joining the Nuggets, they would have a pretty expensive payroll in 2026. They would have nearly $250 million total cap allocations for that season. If James went there, it probably wouldn’t be for much money. But, even at 40, he’s still valuable enough to earn a significantly high paycheck.
Now, because he is the best player in his generation, James can force himself anywhere he wants. He could try to force a trade to Denver, but what would the Lakers want that would be of equal value for someone like him?
The Nuggets have some fantastic players, like Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, who could be included in a return package for James, but James is still one of the NBA’s best players. The Lakers might be transitional, but that’s not enough for James. Also, will Denver really sacrifice their long-term window for a year or two of better odds? It just doesn’t seem like it would make sense for either side.
How Does James’ History Impact His Decision Making?
James has left teams for greener pastures in the past, but what hasn’t been part of his approach is joining a team that has beaten him. He has gone to teams he believed gave him the best chance of a title, and he’s been correct in those moves. However, regardless of Denver’s appeal as a market, it would seem odd for him to join a team that beat him and embarrassed him in the NBA Playoffs like the Nuggets did in 2023 and 2024.
James typically wants to beat those teams, not join them. While we have seen superstars join forces with teams who beat them, like Kevin Durant joining Golden State in 2016, it would be astonishing if James became a Nugget.
He may be on a new team in 2026 to improve his chances of another championship. But if there’s one thing he would probably not do, it’s ride the coattails of another superstar to achieve that goal.