Trade rumors have swirled around LeBron James since he opted into his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his agent, Rich Paul, released a statement that sounded awfully like "goodbye." They thanked ownership for LeBron's eight years there, but agreed that it is hard to build for the present, like LeBron wants, and the future around Luka Doncic.
The Dallas Mavericks were instantly brought up as a team who could be interested in LeBron James, given that they have two of his greatest co-stars of all time in Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Jason Kidd was also an assistant on the Lakers team that won a championship in 2020, so there would be a lot of familiarity.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
However, NBA insider Chris Haynes went on NBA TV to report on the situation after speaking directly to LeBron's agent.
"Rich Paul told me there has been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers, people have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I'm told that all that talk is false. There has been no extension talk."
That's not to say those talks couldn't happen in the future. LeBron James and Rich Paul will watch the Lakers' moves this offseason to see if they line up with what they want. And if the moves are lackluster, then we could see some noise out of that camp.
The Lakers aren't off to a good start this offseason, though. They let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency after giving up three second-round picks to get him and have only added Jake LaRavia as of Monday night. For a team that needs a center desperately and not a lot of money to play with, they haven't done anything to address it yet.
READ MORE: BREAKING: Mavericks sign ex-Laker, NBA All-Star to $13 million deal
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