DHJ Quick Take: Dallas Mavericks Make LeBron James’ Free Agency Board on Business Appeal Alone
Rich Paul included the Mavericks among 10 teams LeBron James is considering in free agency, but the pitch for Dallas skipped the roster in favor of Masai Ujiri and the city’s business ties. That leaves an unstated basketball case built around Kyrie Irving‘s return from ACL surgery, Cooper Flagg‘s second season, and a retooled frontcourt.
- Why is Dallas on LeBron James’ board? Rich Paul cited Masai Ujiri’s global stature and the city’s oil, golf, and Macau casino ties rather than any player on the roster.
- What basketball case can Dallas still make? Kyrie Irving is expected back healthy from a torn ACL, Cooper Flagg is entering his second season after winning Rookie of the Year, and Dallas added Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick.
- Where do the Mavericks rank among LeBron James’ options? Paul grouped Dallas with the Warriors, Celtics, Spurs, and Knicks as a secondary tier behind the 76ers, Heat, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Cavaliers.
- What’s next? LeBron James is expected to continue meeting with teams before deciding on his next contract.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are one of 10 teams LeBron James is considering in free agency, agent Rich Paul revealed this week on the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman, though Paul’s on-air case for Dallas leaned entirely on business appeal rather than the roster Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz have built.
Paul used a whiteboard to walk through his reasoning for each of the 10 franchises still in play for James, who is testing free agency for the first time since leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. When he reached Dallas, Paul skipped every player on the roster and pointed instead to Ujiri and the city’s business landscape, citing the region’s oil wealth, its golf culture, and ties to Macau’s Sands Group casino empire before summing it up by telling Kellerman “a lot comes with Dallas and Masai.”
Unlike his pitch for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets, which came with full projected starting lineups attached, Paul did not mention Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, or anyone else on Dallas’ roster.
The Basketball Case Rich Paul Left Off the Whiteboard
Paul’s silence on personnel leaves out an argument the Mavericks can still make on their own.
Kyrie Irving is expected back at full strength after missing the entire 2025-26 season recovering from a torn left ACL, an injury he suffered March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings. Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 40.1% three-point shooting before the injury, and he and James won the 2016 NBA Finals together in Cleveland.
Cooper Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year, is entering his second season with a further leap expected after an award-winning debut. Dallas also added Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to reinforce the frontcourt, and Dereck Lively II is working his way back from season-ending right foot surgery he underwent in December, with the Mavericks hopeful he is ready for training camp in September.
Between Irving, Flagg, Lively, Johnson, and the complementary pieces already in place, Dallas has enough to build a roster-based pitch of its own. Paul simply chose not to make it.
Where the Mavericks Rank Behind the Cavaliers, 76ers and Other Cores
Paul grouped the 10 teams into two tiers. The 76ers, Heat, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Cavaliers made up the group he detailed most thoroughly, each with a specific projected lineup built around James. The Golden State Warriors, Mavericks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks rounded out a second group Paul covered in less depth.
Cleveland carries its own individual factor in assistant general manager Brandon Weems, a childhood friend of James dating back to their days at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, whom Paul called “basically LeBron’s brother.” Paul listed the team’s lack of Darius Garland, whom the Cavaliers no longer have after trading for James Harden, as the lone drawback for Cleveland, noting James is fond of Garland as well.
The Knicks, meanwhile, would have been James’ preferred destination had they not already won this year’s championship, according to Paul, who said the board would not have existed at all in that scenario. Paul added that all but one or two of the league’s 30 teams have reached out about James this offseason.
James has indicated that happiness, not money, will drive his decision. No timetable has been set for when he will choose his next team.
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