LeBron James opted into the final year of his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, and a statement put out by his agent, Rich Paul, made it seem like they could look for a new destination if the Lakers didn't upgrade the team in a significant way.
NBA insider Chris Haynes spoke with Rich Paul, who said there isn't any trade or any type of move that has been discussed, but that isn't stopping any of the noise around The King.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
Apr 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with a referee in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Former Dallas Mavericks guard and podcaster Theo Pinson has fully planted his flag on what'll happen with LeBron James, posting to X/Twitter to definitively say, "Bron leaving LA."
Bron leaving LA
— Theo pinson (@tpinsonn) June 30, 2025
It would be a pretty surprising move if LeBron were to be traded. As much as people joke about him being an armchair GM and pulling strings behind the table, he's always finished out his contracts so that he could sign elsewhere. He's never been traded, and he's never been bought out of his contract. That may seem like an obvious statement given how dominant he's been in his career, but Luka Doncic was traded seven months after making the NBA Finals; anything is possible.
Dallas has been connected as a team that would be interested in trading for LeBron if he were to demand out of Los Angeles. They now have three former Lakers in D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis, and Max Christie, and Jason Kidd was on the Lakers' staff when they won their most recent championship. Add in Kyrie Irving, and you have a lot of people LeBron James is familiar with.
But there are a few things that need to happen, like the Lakers continuing to swing and miss in free agency, before LeBron James considers asking out.
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