LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million Lakers contract for next season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks says no trade market exists due to his age, salary, and one-year deal. A buyout would change everything, but for now, he's staying put.
LeBron James is staying with the Los Angeles Lakers, exercising his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 season. While not unexpected, the decision comes amid growing recognition that a trade for the 40-year-old superstar is highly improbable.
Points this season
Los Angeles Lakers
NBA
On ESPN’s Get Up, NBA insiders Bobby Marks and Brian Windhorst discussed whether a viable trade market for LeBron exists. The answer? A resounding no.
“To be sensitive to LeBron, who’s considered one of the greatest of all time — there isn’t,” Marks said. “He’s making $53 million, he’s 40, and teams aren’t willing to give up four or five players for one season of LeBron.”
Marks noted that even the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team, would need to part with a significant portion of their roster — possibly six players — to acquire him, which doesn’t make business sense.
However, Marks added that the situation could dramatically shift if LeBron became a free agent through a buyout. In that case, “you’d have 29 teams lined up for him.”
While a trade looks increasingly unlikely, questions remain about whether LeBron will finish his Hall of Fame career in Los Angeles or explore a final chapter elsewhere — possibly alongside his son, Bronny James, whom the Lakers recently drafted.
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