James meets with Jokic's agent! American media analyzes three possibilities: Will the two superstars join forces?

On July 27, Beijing time, Jokic's agent Raznatovic shared a photo on social media showing himself, James, and Maverick Carter (James's business partner) together on a boat, with the caption, "Summer 2025 is the best time to plan for the major events of fall 2026! @James @Maverick-Carter."

James is known for his careful thought process. He never engages in meaningless activities and is always the master of directing his own narrative. Therefore, as people say, any photo featuring James is never a coincidence. This picture quickly sparked discussions, and the American media outlet Basketball Network wrote about three possible scenarios, detailed as follows—

Is James eyeing Denver?

Everyone knows that James exercised his player option worth $53 million with the Lakers and is aware that he will no longer be a Lakers player after next season.

Some speculate that he might retire. But what if he still wants to play? There are rumors that James could reunite with the Cavaliers. However, it remains unclear whether Dan Gilbert intends to welcome this superstar back for the third time.

It is well-known that the Nuggets aggressively pursued James in the summer of 2018, hoping to pair him with Jokic. But at that time, James ignored the Nuggets and signed with the Lakers instead. This high-altitude team eliminated the Lakers in both 2023 and 2024, and James has consistently praised Jokic's skills.

Indeed, the now 40-something James is no longer in the condition envisioned for teaming up with Jokic. However, the current Nuggets roster includes Jokic's supporting cast—Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson. Nevertheless, signing James at a reasonable salary (even if he is 41 or 42) could still be a good idea for the team.

Or is he recruiting Jokic to join the Lakers?

If James doesn't go to Denver, could the situation be reversed? While Doncic is busy preparing for a "revenge season," is James trying to persuade Jokic to move to Los Angeles?

Recently, Jokic rejected a four-year, $212 million extension from the Nuggets. A few weeks ago, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka stated that they are not prioritizing an extension for Finney-Smith because they are saving money for the 2026 free-agent market—when this three-time MVP will become a free agent. Perhaps the Lakers want Doncic to team up with Jokic, and LeBron is their negotiator.

Or are they just discussing another business investment?

Perhaps James will retire after this season and buy a team in Europe. Alternatively, "King" James might be preparing for a potential NBA team owner role by collaborating with top European agents to recruit elite talent.

It’s possible that James is discussing investing in Jokic’s team or something similar. Otherwise, it might have nothing to do with basketball at all.

As it stands, all of this is merely speculation. However, since Raznatovic mentioned they are planning something significant for next year, it is worth discussing. As previously stated, LeBron is a master at sending signals. That Instagram photo was definitely not a coincidence; this four-time champion must be brewing something interesting.