While NBA superstar LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, it did not guarantee that he would remain in L.A. How the Lakers would handle player acquisition via the draft and free agency led to speculation over whether James could be traded.
Despite the rumor mill, however, trade and buyout scenarios were never discussed between James and the Lakers, according to The Athletic, which added that both sides expect that James will report to training camp in the fall.
Still, James’ agent, Rich Paul, raised some eyebrows when he told ESPN that James’ team would monitor the Lakers’ moves this offseason — this, even after James picked up his player option.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future,” Paul continued. “We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
To wit, the Lakers re-signed center Jaxson Hayes, signed former Sacramento Kings forward Jake LaRavia and added another center in former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton. In the 2025 NBA Draft, Los Angeles traded up to the No. 36 overall pick to select former Arkansas forward Adou Thiero, who led the Razorbacks in points per game (15.1), rebounds per game (5.8) and steals per game (1.6) last season. He was one of just four SEC players to average 15 points per game while shooting 50% from the field.
There are reasons for James to remain with the Lakers for at least one more season. It’s a premier franchise that just facilitated a move for Luka Doncic that both helped the team contend now and build for the future. Plus, James’ son, Bronny, is a member of the organization and has been showing improvement in summer league. It appears James’ camp wanted to keep all options on the table and put pressure on the organization to make “win-now” moves, but it appears that no conversations about a trade or buyout have taken place just yet.
