LeBron James opted into the final season of his two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the official start of NBA free agency on Monday, June 30, which has created an interesting situation in L.A.
James could have opted out and hit the free-agent market, but only the Brooklyn Nets had the salary cap space to pay him the max salary of over $54 million. He could have also opted out and renegotiated a new deal with the Lakers, potentially agreeing a one-on-one contract that gave him optionality a year down the road.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN noted the "unusual" nature of James' decision, considering that the previous eight times in which he had a player option during his 22-year career to this point, he turned it down every time and opted for free agency and the negotiation of a new deal.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
James sent the Lakers a message through his agent Rich Paul following his decision saying is "monitoring" the team's offseason moves, which indicates he may decide to ask for a trade if he doesn't like the way Los Angeles approaches the summer with regards to immediate title contention.
James is entering his 23rd season in the NBA in 2025-26, which is a record, and will turn 41 years old in late December. If he plays in 50 contests this season, he will also earn the record for the most regular-season games every played in the league.
ESPN's Bobby Marks reported Monday that, according to his contacts around the league, there is essentially no trade market for James given what he would cost -- both in terms of overall salary and trade compensation.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler.
© David Gonzales
However, his colleague Kevin Pelton noted one interesting caveat to that, in which James could be moved.
The example he gave involved a deal flipping LeBron James and his eldest son, Bronny James, to the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler.
"A sign-and-trade would be possible if James were to decline his option, but that possibility is complicated by the fact that a team receiving a player via sign-and-trade is automatically hard-capped at the lower luxury-tax apron, limiting its moves to build out the roster. An opt-in and trade isn't subject to the same restrictions," Pelton wrote. "Hypothetically the [Warriors] could now trade Jimmy Butler III (starting a max extension) to the Lakers for James and Bronny James, and neither team would face a hard cap of any kind, allowing the Warriors to re-sign restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga."
Lebron James will earn $52.6 million this season, while Bronny James will earn just under $2 million. Butler is set to make just over $54.1 million, which creates a financial match for the hypothetical deal.