If the Miami Heat is still interested in making a blockbuster move before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, they may look no further than LeBron James. As he continues to play this disgruntled song and dance with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Heat may be in the perfect position to pull off a shocking reunion with The King.
With everything that's been reported publicly, we can only conclude that LeBron is not happy in Los Angeles. At the very least, he feels somewhat slighted by how things have gone over the last six months.
The Lakers are clearly building around Luka Doncic now and may not feel obliged to go all-in at this moment. Considering LeBron could be entering his final season in the NBA, that's not ideal. The Lakers are building for the future with Luka at the center of it all, and LeBron is looking to win one more title in the next 1-2 seasons.
Clearly, there's at least some sort of disconnect between LeBron and the Lakers. And it's hard to blame either side at the moment.
The question is, is there enough of a disconnect between the two that would lead to a trade?
LeBron has a no-trade clause and would ultimately be the one to decide that. However, if there is a chance that LeBron gets traded, the Heat are probably one of the few teams in a perfect position to pull off such a move.
Why the Heat are an ideal trade candidate for LeBron James
According to Dan Woike, a Lakers reporter for The Athletic, if the Lakers were to trade LeBron, they probably wouldn't want to take on any salary beyond the 2025-26 NBA season. That eliminates a ton of teams that would theoretically make sense as landing spots for LeBron. With the exception of two. The LA Clippers and the Heat.
The Heat have the expiring salaries that would appease the Lakers, and a couple of draft picks that they would likely need to sweeten the deal.
If Miami were truly interested in making this happen, and if LeBron was open to such a move, this is a deal that could realistically get done.
Whether such a move would be in the best interest of the Heat in the long run and if this would make the most sense for LeBron remains to be seen. However, there could be a pairing between the two sides that does make a ton of sense.
LeBron could be looking for a way out of Los Angeles, and the Heat could give him one of the best avenues toward accomplishing that.
I suppose the big question is whether LeBron is genuine with his displeasure with Los Angeles to the point where he'd want to leave? Or is this LeBron attempting to utilize leverage to push the Lakers to make a big all-in deal before the start of the season?
Time will only tell, but if LeBron does get traded, a reunion with the Heat may not be as outlandish as some believe.