LeBron James In The Mile High? Some NBA Insiders Think It Can Happen

Until LeBron James releases an official statement on his plans for the 2026-27 season, the NBA community won’t stop speculating about his whereabouts by then.

No one knows the King’s blueprint for sure, but that didn’t stop ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Tim Bontemps from asking some league insiders for their best projections? While these insiders came up with some frequently discussed landing spots (such as the Warriors, the Knicks, and the Cavaliers), one Western Conference team has interestingly emerged in these survey responses.

Fancy LeBron James in the Mile High? Insiders think it’s possible that the four-time NBA champion will take his talents to the Nuggets’ camp.

“Who is the only guy on [James'] level from a basketball IQ standpoint in the league? Go there and team up with that guy,” an unnamed Western Conference executive reportedly said.

That guy, of course, is three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who was largely responsible for causing the postseason downfall of LBJ’s Lakers in recent years. This is no hyperbole: As far as court vision, decision-making, and passing skills go, Jokic has proven that he’s right up there with James.

McMenamin and Bontemps added that the Lakers would be incentivized to send James to Denver. “Joining the Nuggets could also create a sign-and-trade opportunity for the Lakers, be it for restricted free agent forward and fellow Klutch client Peyton Watson or veteran forward Cameron Johnson, who is set to make $23 million next season in the final year of his contract,” they wrote.

Indeed, either one of those Nuggets players could plug in some holes that the Lakers have been looking to fill for some time. Watson is a legitimate 3-and-D threat that the Lakers haven’t had since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Johnson is just the type of reliable shooter that Luka Doncic needs to keep defenses honest.

Of course, there’s the issue of the salary cap, as well as the question of whether Jokic’s running mates Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon will still be around in Denver if James joins the lineup. LBJ going to the Mile High is a distant possibility, but James is certainly no stranger to headline-grabbing moves in his career.