The Los Angeles Lakers‘ best chance to move on from the drama that surrounds LeBron James is to offer the 40-year-old superstar a pathway out of L.A. to immediate championship contention.
One franchise that can offer James that is the Denver Nuggets by way of pairing him with three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic. James can’t force the Lakers to trade him anywhere, though his no-trade clause does allow him to prevent any transaction with which he doesn’t agree.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report predicted that James would get past whatever reservations he might have about playing with the Nuggets via the recognition of what he could potentially accomplish there in the twilight of his NBA career.
On Wednesday, July 9, Favale authored a trade proposal flipping James and his son Bronny James to the Nuggets in exchange for Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II and a 2028 first-round pick swap
Jamal Murray Would Add Youth, Dynamic Offense Alongside Lakers Star Luka Doncic for Years to Come
The following is a segment of Favale’s argument for the deal:
Murray is set to begin his four-year, $207.8 million extension this coming season, and Watson is extension-eligible now. The Nuggets may welcome the extra long-term optionality that LeBron’s expiring deal would bring, especially with Christian Braun in line for a new deal.
Whether Murray is good enough for the Lakers to punt on their 2027 cap-space plans is debatable. His injury track record is unnerving. Ditto for his commitment to conditioning. But he has shown he can be effective while playing off a superstar, and Los Angeles’ offense would be armed to the teeth with him, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves making on-ball decisions.
Murray has never made an All-Star team in his eight-year NBA career, though he has shown himself to be a playoff killer. Murray hit two game-winning shots against the Lakers in the first round of the 2024 playoffs and was a crucial cog in the Nuggets’ championship run the year before.
During the 2024-25 season, Murray averaged 21.4 points, 6.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 36.1 minutes played nightly across 67 starts.
Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes Could Provide Lakers With Needed Defensive Upgrades
The rest of the trade package heading the Lakers’ way in Favale’s hypothetical deal isn’t as flashy, though it meets some of the team’s most urgent needs.
Los Angeles would need to equip the rest of the perimeter with strong defenders around a trio of Doncic, Reaves and Murray. The interior will also need size, athleticism and defense beyond what Deandre Ayton can provide.
If one takes an optimistic view, it is possible to see the likes of Watson and Holmes rising to meet those requirements in 2025-26 and beyond.
“Watson is a young wing who has shown enough on defense to pique the Lakers’ curiosity,” Favale continued. “Holmes missed his would-be rookie campaign with an Achilles injury, but he has floor-spacing and rim-protection chops and could partner up with Luka in the two-man game if healthy.”
