The LeBron James saga continues to drag on. Ever since he opted into the final year of his deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and his agent, Rich Paul, released a curious message about the team, rumors have swirled wondering what LeBron's future looks like in Los Angeles.
Although Rich Paul says they haven't had any conversations with the Lakers about a possible trade or buyout, they did say they were keeping an eye on what moves the team would make. So far, the Lakers have added Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia but lost Dorian Finney-Smith, a favorite teammate of Luka Doncic. Reports also surfaced that the Lakers didn't tell LeBron James when they sold the team, but they did tell Doncic.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second 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
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported during the Summer League on Saturday that four teams had contacted Rich Paul about a possible trade, but those four teams were left up in the air. According to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, those four teams are rumored to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and LA Clippers.
The 4 teams who contacted Rich Paul with interest in trading for LeBron James, per @ScoopB
— Dallas Mavericks
— Golden State Warriors
— Cleveland Cavaliers
— Los Angeles Clippers pic.twitter.com/lfzts6mEL2
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 13, 2025
The last rumor suggested that the Mavericks would only be interested in acquiring LeBron James if he were bought out by the Lakers, as attempting to match his $52.6 million salary could prove challenging. A trade would likely have to include Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and other salary matchers. Bronny James may have to come back to Dallas in that trade, too, as it's hard to imagine playing on a team and his son isn't on it at this stage.
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