0 of 5

Bob Levey/Getty Images

The handful of NBA teams in the running for LeBron James' services next year better get busy on Thursday. If last year's 11 draft-night trades are any indication, that's when roster reformation is supposed to happen.

Most teams angling for James need to make major changes to accommodate him (and the max salary he's always demanded).

Some of these will have to be trades that don't directly involve James, who has yet to make a decision on his player option for 2018-19 and is unlikely to do so before the June 21 draft. That means we need to engineer some runway-clearers—precursor moves that portend a James signing or make one more feasible.

As for the field, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported in March that James has only four teams on his list: the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. We'll go with those as our main sweepstakes participants and add one more in the interest of thoroughness.

Perhaps James will drag out his plans well into July, but we could get an idea about his landing spot based on the moves we see during the draft.