LeBron James landing spots: Could the Lakers actually trade the King?

The Los Angeles Lakers feel like the most likely destination for superstar forward LeBron James, but the statement put out by James' agent Rich Paul after the former picked up his $52.6 million option over the weekend makes us wonder.

Paul told ESPN that James wants to play for a contender and will be evaluating what's best for him at this point in his career.

"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul said. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."Look, if that doesn't scream "LeBron might get traded" to you, we're not sure what else will.

While the most likely option is still him returning to Los Angeles to finish out his career, we've identified the three most likely teams in the Eastern Conference that could feasibly swing a James trade... just in case.

New York Knicks

If the Knicks really want to contend for a championship in 2025 amid what may be a down year for the Eastern Conference, acquiring one of the best basketball players of all time would be a heck of a way to do it.

Yes, LeBron James in a Knicks uniform would be an absolutely jaw-dropping sight, and New York already has two strong starting forwards in OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. However, we won't rule the Knicks out, if only because we could absolutely see a scenario where New York ownership takes the likely year flier.

We're not sure what the trade details would look like, but we are sure this would be one of the most fascinating NBA trades in quite some time. Could LeBron finish his career in the Big Apple? It could happen!

Miami Heat

Could James go back to the Heat to finish his storied NBA career? Well, Miami has a clear need for a starting forward, particularly if the team trades Andrew Wiggins. Taking his talents back to South Beach might seem far-fetched, but James did win his first NBA title with the franchise and has familiarity with the coaching staff.

The Lakers could acquire Wiggins as a more long-term play and see what else Miami would send them in a deal of this magnitude, and LeBron could go out with a team where he's put banners in the rafters.

Cleveland Cavaliers

James going back to Cleveland to finish out his NBA career could give him the storybook ending he deserves, and this Cavs team is ready to compete for a title right now. It's perhaps the best fit on this list.

Perhaps a player like Max Strus could be part of a package to send to the Lakers in exchange for a one-year rental of James. We're guessing much more would be needed to get this done, but you can't hate the idea of James joining Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in The Land... unless you're an opponent.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James landing spots: Could the Lakers actually trade the King?