Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during an NBA game.
With the NBA trade deadline days away, a fresh report is pushing back hard on the idea of a late-season shakeup involving LeBron James.
According to ESPN, league sources expect James to finish out the season with the Lakers — even as the rumor mill heats up around several teams that have been viewed as potential future landing spots if he ever chose a new chapter.
That matters because the deadline itself is imminent: the NBA’s trade deadline is set for Thursday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET. And while James holds a no-trade clause (meaning any deal would require his approval), the bigger point here is timing, the report says the “before the deadline” scenario isn’t expected to happen.
This story will be updated.
ESPN’s Report Pours Cold Water on Deadline LeBron Deal
James’ camp has been consistent about this for a while. His longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul, said in December on his “Game Over” podcast that James wouldn’t be seeking a trade and would finish the season in Los Angeles.
Still, the backdrop has changed since then. The Lakers slid in the standings (as noted in ESPN’s report), and there’s been plenty of noise around the organization, including a recent deep-dive that explored tension involving Jeanie Buss.
James was asked recently if he planned to finish the season with the Lakers, and he didn’t exactly leave much room for creative interpretation. “I’m good,” he said.
What It Means for the Lakers Right Now
For the Lakers, this is the clearest takeaway heading into the deadline week: they’re not operating like a franchise that’s about to move on from LeBron in-season.
That doesn’t mean the roster can’t change; it just shifts the focus to what the Lakers could do around him (and the rest of the core) to make a second-half push. And it lands at a moment when they’re getting key pieces back in the mix, including Austin Reaves returning Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets on a minutes restriction.
The broader “pressure” point: the standings are tight, the deadline is here, and every move looks like a signal about how serious a team is about contending this season.
Why the Rumors Keep Spiking Anyway
ESPN’s report also underlined why the speculation hasn’t gone away: teams that have been framed as plausible future destinations have been linked to big-game hunting.
Per ESPN reporting, the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks have engaged the Milwaukee Bucks in discussions about Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Cleveland Cavaliers just completed a trade for James Harden, swapping out Darius Garland.
Even if one of those blockbuster dominoes falls, ESPN’s bottom line is that LeBron isn’t expected to be part of it this week.
Key details
Trade deadline: Thursday, Feb. 5 (3 p.m. ET)
ESPN: league sources expect LeBron to finish season with Lakers
Reaves returns vs. Nets on minutes restriction
LeBron James, 41, is in his 23rd NBA season and remains one of the league’s most productive stars. The four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and has been a fixture atop the sport’s record books for two decades. He entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft out of St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio) and has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers.