LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome on January 22, 2026.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers on January 22, 2026. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

LA Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks NBA

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard Could All Be On New Teams Next Season

Ashish MathurApril 14, 2026 7:15 PMApril 14, 2026 7:18 PM

DHJ Quick Take

Potential Superstar Shuffles: NBA insider Marc Stein reports that LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard could all potentially move to new teams next season.
Front Office Buzz: Despite a recent league-wide trend of stars signing early extensions to avoid free agency, there is “growing anticipation” among NBA front offices that these marquee names will be on the move.
Current Status: All three legends are currently centerpiece players for their respective teams—the Lakers, Bucks and Clippers—but their futures will be a major focal point for the league throughout the spring.

NBA legends LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard could all be on new teams next season, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

James is currently on the Los Angeles Lakers, Antetokounmpo is on the Milwaukee Bucks and Leonard is on the Los Angeles Clippers.

“The Lakers’ LeBron James. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard. And, of course, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Expect to hear lots about their futures all spring,” Stein wrote. “NBA free agency certainly isn’t what it once was, as we’ve chronicled here numerous times, given how common it has become for so many top players to seek and sign contract extensions that spare them from having to test the open market. Yet there is a growing anticipation in numerous front offices, league sources say, that two or even all three of the above marquee names could land with new teams next season.”

James, 41, becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason for the first time since 2018. If he doesn’t retire, the four-time Finals MVP is expected to either re-sign with the Lakers or return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third stint, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal.

The NBA’s all-time leader in points, field goals, minutes and games, James has been on the Lakers since 2018. He guided the franchise to the 2020 championship against his former team, the Miami Heat, at the Walt Disney World bubble.

The Lakers are now building around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but since James has close relationships with Dončić, Reaves and head coach JJ Redick, a return to Los Angeles can’t be ruled out, sources said.

After nearly being traded at this year’s trade deadline, Antetokounmpo is expected to be traded by the Bucks this offseason. The 2021 Finals MVP has been linked to the Lakers, Heat, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks.

Antetokounmpo will make $58.5 million next season. He has a player option worth $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season. The two-time MVP is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension with the Bucks on October 1. If he declines the extension, Antetokounmpo will be traded, per Milwaukee co-owner Wes Edens.

Finally, Leonard will make $50.3 million next season in the final year of his contract. The Clippers are no longer a championship contender after trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac, so Leonard could be traded this summer.

Like Antetokounmpo, Leonard — a two-time Finals MVP — was pursued by the Warriors at this year’s trade deadline. Neither Antetokounmpo nor Leonard has a no-trade clause.

James has played for the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers, Leonard has played for the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Clippers and Antetokounmpo has spent his entire NBA career with the Bucks.