LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers / David Berding/GettyImages

If you’re like me, your NBA news cycle has been overtaken by sudden and unexpected LeBron James trade rumors. The simple fact remains — LeBron is going to retire in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform — but LA’s mounting struggles and inability to build a true winner around James at least opens the door for speculation.

Most notably, the Golden State Warriors remain interested in pairing James with Stephen Curry. That report comes from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who also notes that James holds all the power here. The 20-time All-Star is equipped with a no-trade clause, so two things must happen to spark a trade. LeBron would need to approve his destination, and the Lakers would need to actually want to trade him.

Here’s the plain truth of the matter, as outlined by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

“So before anyone can fantasize about James gunning for another title with Stephen Curry in a Golden State Warriors uniform, James would have to say it’s what he wants. And while talk show after talk show can try to put a championship-above-all mindset onto James, there’s just not evidence that it exists.”

James once lorded his player option over the Cleveland Cavaliers and exerted immense pressure on the Miami Heat front office to maintain a top-shelf contender. That attitude just hasn’t followed James to LA, where he has laid down family roots and established a major off-court business empire. James has gone Hollywood, folks, and he’s not leaving to spend the last couple years of his career in a less glamorous market.

Frankly, that is understandable. James is, at worst, the second-best player to ever walk the earth. His legacy is pretty much set in stone at this point. He has earned a low-stakes swan song while his son toils on the Lakers G-League team, if that’s what he wants.

If James wants to actually contend for one last NBA title, however, he’d do well to demand a trade to one of these teams.

3. Houston Rockets can surround LeBron James with youth and athleticism

The Western Conference is an absolute bloodbath — and the Houston Rockets are 17-8, which is good enough for second place. This Houston team is the real deal, led by a top-shelf head coach in Ime Udoka and an overwhelmingly promising youth movement.

Alperen Sengun has found his All-Star stride of late, while Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. feel like they have championship DNA. The Rockets have the token vets to lead the locker room in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, but Houston’s success is rooted in speed, athleticism, and effort. That is a great environment to plug 39-year-old LeBron James into.

Houston plays incredibly hard on defense. James has been especially lax on that end this season — what else can we expect at this stage of his career? — so Houston can, ideally, provide some insulation. The veteran leadership angle is important, too. James would bring more championship experience and a deeply respected voice to the locker room. He’s somebody the Rockets’ young guys can listen to and learn from. James mentoring a budding 6-foot-7, super-athletic playmaker like Amen Thompson is the dream.

Houston has enough shooting to accentuate LeBron’s extant creation chops. The defense should remain close to an elite level, while the Rockets’ bounty of picks and young talent should take care of the necessary trade costs. This Houston team is comfortable building slowly toward a title, but adding James would put the Rockets on the map right now — and gives him a real chance at everlasting glory in the twilight of his career.

2. In a perfect world, LeBron James would beg for a trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder

The best team in the West, by far, is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even with Chet Holmgren on the sideline, OKC appears to comfortably outclass most of an incredibly talent-rich conference. No team can match the Thunder’s depth, while Sam Presti’s collection of future draft picks should allow OKC to engineer important upgrades as needed.

It could also, in theory, help OKC put together an adequate trade package for LeBron James. The salary implications are complicated, of course, and the idea of James living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for an extended period of time borders on comical. But, in pure basketball terms, this is more than ideal. It gives James plenty of star-power to lean on and — as with the Rockets — a bunch of youth, size, and athleticism to cover for him on the defensive end.

OKC is the best defense in the NBA by a long shot. James may weaken their armor a bit, but Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an absurd defensive core. Hide LeBron in on the weak link in the corner, and odds are OKC would be just fine.

As for the offensive fit, James aligns perfectly with OKC’s philosophies. The Thunder are built around a cabal of dynamic slashers. All five players, more often than not, bring some level of dribble-pass-shoot equity to the table. SGA is a rim pressure machine, easily setting OKC’s offensive gears in motion. James’ driving and playmaking IQ would fit right in, and he’d be able to cede responsibilities to OKC’s young core in the waning years of his career. It’s a great, great fit.

1. LeBron James and Nikola Jokic? The Denver Nuggets would be appointment viewing

LeBron James and Nikola Jokic are probably our greatest basketball brains. Their minds should be preserved for scientific purposes, just so we can gleam some understanding of how they process the game so quickly and so thoroughly. Combining them on the court? Man, that just isn’t fair.

The Denver Nuggets are following an uncomfortably similar track to James’ Lakers. Jokic is the greatest player in the world, but that front office has been asleep at the wheel ever since Denver took home the Larry O’Brien trophy. The Nuggets have let key pieces walk and done nothing of significance to replace them, leaving Jokic with a patchwork supporting cast that is constantly one injury away from disaster.

Denver has trudged through a prolonged Aaron Gordon absence out of the gate. Jamal Murray still doesn’t look quite right. This is a “good” Nuggets team, but it isn’t nearly good enough to make it through a cutthroat West. Adding another star — and another genuine playmaking fulcrum, like James — would increase Denver’s standing rather drastically. It certainly can’t hurt that Jokic and James’ combined brain power would melt the majority of opposing defenses. So… many… open… looks.

James has never really been the outright No. 2 on his team. He’s never played with anybody approaching Jokic’s level of greatness, with all due respect to Dwyane Wade and Anthony Davis. You know the saying: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I think we’d all like to see what James can accomplish in a Nuggets uniform.