LeBron James has had no trade or buyout talks with the Los Angeles Lakers and is expected to remain with the team for the upcoming season, attending training camp this fall.
Despite ongoing rumors about potential trade suitors or a possible buyout, LeBron James has not had any trade or buyout discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers.
3-pointers this season
Los Angeles Lakers
NBA
According to Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, there's been no indication from James that he plans to request a trade or buyout.
Amid constant speculation about his future, both the Lakers and people close to the NBA's all-time leading scorer expect him to be with the team for training camp this fall, per the same report.
Sources told The Athletic that the LA Lakers have not received any signal from James or his representatives that he wants out of the final year of his contract—his eighth season with the team.
Earlier this summer, the 40-year-old picked up his $52.6 million player option to remain with the Lakers.
Again, league and team sources emphasized to The Athletic that no buyout talks have occurred. The idea of a buyout has only been floated by rival teams as a hypothetical option while they monitor the situation.
In reality, the Lakers have no incentive to buy out LeBron's contract. The team is still aiming to contend while building a long-term roster centered around Luka Doncic.
Credit AP - Scanpix
"The Lakers had already made their statement in not offering James a contract beyond this season," they wrote.
"Whether the 2025-26 season is to be James' final season in the NBA is up to him. But if he wanted the kind of Hollywood ending that only the Lakers can give legends of the game, the release date was set. Spring, 2026. Luka Doncic in, LeBron James out."
It's also worth noting that LeBron holds a no-trade clause in his contract.
Meanwhile, famous NBA agent Rich Paul recently downplayed trade rumors surrounding his client, LeBron James, and the Lakers, emphasizing that they're ignoring the noise, focusing on their work, and prioritizing LeBron's joy in the game.
"There's so many voices in today's game and around today's game and media and things like that. And everyone has a job to do," Paul said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "For us, 'Hey, let those people do their job.' It's not for us to rebut or to try to give clarity on what's said, what's not said."
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