The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves grappling with a challenging 0-3 NBA playoff series deficit against the Denver Nuggets, raising questions about the future of their lineup, including LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell.

Both players have lucrative player options for the next season, with James possibly commanding $51.4 million and Russell $18.7 million.

Despite James’ solid performance, he has not reached his peak form against a younger, quicker, and deeper Nuggets team. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill Simmons discussed the Lakers’ limited options for enhancing their roster.

“There’s nobody… that they’re going to have enough assets to actually get — let’s say Devin Booker asks out of Phoenix,” Simmons noted. “They’re not going to have enough picks for him, guess who’s going to have to be in the trade? Anthony Davis. So you’re going sideways with whatever, or you’re going to have to roll the dice with somebody that’s like a distressed asset.”

Speculation about James’ future has ignited discussions about potential moves, including a surprising shift to the Dallas Mavericks, where he could join forces with Luka Doncic and his former teammate Kyrie Irving, with whom he clinched a title in 2016.

“This is the first time I could see the finish line for him,” Simmons continued. “Dallas I guess would be the team [he might join on a minimum contract to win his fifth title].”

However, Simmons expressed skepticism about James making such a move. “It’s just weird, I don’t see him doing it,” he remarked, proposing a possible return to the Eastern Conference, naming the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers as the most feasible destinations for the four-time league MVP.

As the Lakers face elimination, the speculation around James’ career decisions adds another layer of drama to an already intense postseason narrative.