LeBron James could’ve signed with any NBA team in the offseason.
He was a free agent, so he could’ve taken less money to play for a championship contender.
He even reportedly claimed to be willing to take a pay cut so another star would join him in Los Angeles.
Instead, he wound up re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, knowing he had all the leverage to get his son, Bronny, on the roster.
The Lakers are by no means a championship contender, and he doesn’t seem to be enjoying what might be his final season in the league.
Notably, there’s still time to fix that.
As reported by Kendrick Perkins on ESPN’s “First Take,” if James were to entertain waiving his no-trade clause, the Lakers would actually welcome the idea.
"My sources tell me that if LeBron James at any point comes out and says that he wants to be traded or he wants to entertain it, that they're going to entertain it." – Kendrick Perkins pic.twitter.com/IadMdD9Ljs
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 10, 2024
He reminded everyone that his agent, Rich Paul, shut down a potential trade to the Golden State Warriors last season, adding that it wasn’t James who actually turned it down.
It’s hard to envision James requesting a trade at this point in his career.
As much as he’s left teams in the past, he’s never requested to be traded, and playing for four different teams would be a big stain on his legacy for a player of his caliber.
The Lakers would be better off flipping his big contract into assets to build for the future.
Even so, that doesn’t seem likely at this point.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals A Big Concern About Lakers This Season