LeBron James won't be back with the Los Angeles Lakers for his 24th NBA season. We've known that much for roughly the past 24 hours. There are a few teams that stand out more than the rest for the 41-year-old superstar — Golden State, Cleveland, and Miami — but that doesn't mean he will end up with one of those three. How about, say, Denver?
Thinking about LeBron joining Nikola Jokić on the Nuggets is enough to make Lakers fans sick, but Brian Windhorst believes that Denver could be on James' radar, as he said on his latest podcast episode.
"I have long thought, and I refused to bring it up because I didn't want the headache during the year of having to defend this, but I have long believed that if there was an outlier team for LeBron, if he was willing to take some exception, was Denver."
Windhorst pointed out that LeBron was "overly effusive" with Jokić this past season. Even Los Angeles fans can see the appeal of James teaming up with the star center, giving Denver two of the best basketball minds of all time. It'd be a lot of fun to watch, that is, unless you're in LA.
Nuggets could be a team to watch for LeBron
As Windhorst noted, LeBron going to Denver would require James to take a pay cut, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for him.
Shams Charania said on Tuesday that LeBron is prioritizing his happiness, and Rich Paul has since echoed that. The ESPN insider even said on Wednesday that James' next move won't be a "financially driven decision," so that means Denver could be in play.
“If you are a team with contending aspirations, LeBron James according to my sources it is not a financially driven decision. If you want to slot him in and pitch him on a minimum, an exception, pitch him in a non max contract, there seems to be a window there.”
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 1, 2026
— @ShamsCharania… pic.twitter.com/dMpexMe47x
Oh, and there's the fact that Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reported on Wednesday afternoon that the Nuggets expressed interest in LeBron (subscription required).
Two days ago, this might've seemed like some far-fetched scenario, and even after James informed LA he wouldn't be back next season, a move to Denver still didn't seem all that likely. If it's about happiness for him, though, competing for a title with Jokić, not that far from his home base in Los Angeles, could be more appealing than initially thought.
LeBron signing with Nuggets could be disastrous for Lakers
The Lakers were silent for the first 16-ish hours of free agency, but then the moves rolled in all at once, starting with the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade. They also agreed to deals with Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton. What felt like a doomed offseason quickly turned around, at least for the time being.
Los Angeles paid up for Kessler, a move that the front office needed to make, but one it could regret after parting with four picks. The Lakers are used to having every little move they make inspected under a microscope, but the pressure will reach a new level next season.
If things don't go the way LA envisions, and LeBron does end up in Denver, helping the Nuggets win the title (or eliminating Los Angeles in the playoffs again), the Lakers will take quite the fall when they come crashing down to Earth.
It's hard enough to accept that LeBron won't be back in purple and gold, and seeing him in one of those 5280 jerseys would be abominable.
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