Superstar forward LeBron James plans to remain with the Lakers past the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).
There had been some speculation that James might be mulling his future with the Lakers following the absolutely stunning trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas and Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. However, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is one of just two players with a full no-trade clause, and he plans to stick with the Lakers for at least the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign, according to Haynes.
Haynes also hears the Lakers were “very appreciative of the professionalism displayed by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul” and James in the aftermath of the trade. Paul, who also represents Davis, reportedly knew about the deal beforehand, while James did not.
James is the oldest player in the NBA, having turned 40 at the end of December. He continues to play at an incredibly high level though, averaging 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists on .513/.379/.767 shooting in 44 games this season (34.7 minutes per contest).
James helped guide the Lakers to a road victory in New York on Saturday sans Davis by posting a 33-point triple-double. He extended his own NBA record last month when he was named an All-Star for the 21st straight time.
James could hit free agency again next summer after re-signing with the Lakers on a one-plus-one deal in the 2024 offseason. He holds a $52.6MM player option for ’25/26.
1st star is 15 years younger than 2nd star
Mark Cuban needs to say something, so are the new owners
Mavs believe that
Next 6 years, AD will be healthy and Luka will not?
Rich Paul represents both Anthony Davis and LeBron. No way, Rich Paul didn’t immediately inform his client, Anthony Davis, of the offer on the table. It’s literally his job. No way AD didn’t tell LeBron. Then strains an abdominal muscle which sits him out through trade deadline. Immediately waives trade kicker in expectation of contract extension which Rich Paul has already worked out.
I’m sure they all talk about theoretical situations all the time, but there’s no way even Rich Paul knew it was actually happening until Nico and Pelinka pulled the trigger.
Take off the tin foil hat, it’s not that deep lol
Contract extension? He’s due 3/$175 million.
Of course Lebron wants to stay with the Lakers.
Lakers won’t offer LeBron a new NTC
He will be traded if he opt out this summer and sign a new contract
He will be traded, you heard it here first
It could happen…
full no-trade clause
The lakers aren’t doing tear down LeBron doesn’t just randomly get traded out of the blue
But… when Kevin Durant was traded to phoenix it was said that he planned on staying in Brooklyn at the deadline, and then mat ishbia called
KD literally demanded to go to Phoenix. Not the same at all
If he wants to be…
If this just goes terribly he could decline his option and force a sign and trade this summer. I doubt it though.
Highly likely
Give LeBron 2 years $113 mm this summer
Trade LeBron and rebuild with Doncic
I’d rather see him get traded to Golden State, if not now then hopefully over the summer. Why waste your last years in LA when there’s nothing around him
You think the supporting cast in golden state would be better after they trade away the matching salary to get lebron?
It would be Wiggins and Schroder for Bron and Bronny, along with maybe some small amounts of money to match. If you think Lebron > Wiggins then, yeah.
There is absolutely no way the Lakers are making that deal.
If Bron wants to do it, it will be done, and the price drops. Just making the point what it could look like if Bron says “I want out”. GSW has the chips to get Lebron, but 40 year old Lebron’s trade value probably isn’t as high as you think it is.
Need kuminga and picks as well
He could turn down his player option and sign for whatever wherever its not like he needs the money. Also a team trying to get him could deal some less valuable contracts and a real pick to the nets to create cap space.
Again Davey with the not understanding salary matching! Or math not sure which.
You mean the thing he was already doing?
If LeBron got traded the only place he would waive his NTC for is Cleveland
I don’t know if Cleveland would want to give up Jarrett Allen for him though
Lakers with Allen, Reaves and Luka would be a tremendous platform to build off of, I agree it would be cool to see LBJ finish in Cleveland but Cleveland isn’t messing with what they currently have like that.
It’s just so wild to watch a 28-19 team do a pivot and full rebuild, like totally point your roster in a different direction in like, a day. Lakers are overperforming but still being self-aware about the future, is brilliant GMing. Gotta give it up. Love to see FO people actually doing their jobs for once.
So you are saying Luka is nothing? Fascinating take.
It would make no sense for LeBron to leave. Even if you put his off court commitments aside this gives him a legit shot at 1 more ring. I don’t think this makes the Lakers a contender this season but I don’t think they were with AD anyway. The future is brighter though.
Yeah I don’t think they can sort out the roster in 4 days to make it work this season. But I would guess they can for next season. I would also guess LeBron would be willing to decline his option and take a pay cut so they can build a better team around him and Luka.
For the Lakers they now have a star to build around longterm. As good as AD is he wasn’t that guy for them.
Imagine the Cavs vs Lakers in this year’s Finals. And then in the summer LeBron considers pulling a “Durant,” & joins the Champs in Cleveland for a 2026 Final Parade into retirement.
This move doesn’t make the Lakers better though? No way they make the WCF. OKC and Denver still clear them handily.
Think they need to do another move to get a big regardless. See how they shape up after deadline.
Agreed there.
I mean, this trade is every reason to STAY as a Laker, no?
“LeBron James plans to stay with the Lakers past the deadline.”
That says everything about who runs what. That says everything about who knew this was going down from the beginning.
I’m not stating that it’s a problem, just clarifying for those who may think otherwise.
Of course it’s good that key players on the roster are consulted and notified over things like this.
I guess what would bother me is if LeBron flat out lies and says he didn’t know. He knows it all.
What he might not know is the timing and so he can act shocked and said,
“Oh wow, that went down (right now?) Wow. I’m shocked. Wasn’t supposed to be until next week.”
He has a no trade clause. That is why he can say that with any certainty. Take off the tin foil hat.
So quick with the disparaging comment. Very nice.
He still runs things. A no trade clause means they can’t trade him without his permission. Do I have that right? Just checking.
But if he decides he WANTS to be traded, the team doesn’t have to correct?
But you watch the Lakers trade him if he states he wants out. Get it?
And he still is aware of anything going on with the roster despite his attempt to lie about it.
And what does wearing a tinfoil hat have to do with anything here I’ve said? Or you just like the phrase cause I think I’ve seen it a bunch of times from you? Are you able to make a comment in peace without trying to make the other guy feel bad? OK have a nice day.
What’s interesting is if LeBron stays and ends his career with the Lakers there are going to be new expectations placed on him and he will be denied some options on how to finish things out. This is going to be Lukas’ team. So much was made about the Heatles and Wade doing the right thing and passing the baton to LeBron. Luka is the rare player who LeBron will be expected to hand things over to in a transaction as he is still playing.
Second, LeBron won’t get the Kobe retirement year. Kobe was on a team that wasn’t any good so every game could be a Kobe celebration. He could take 40 shots in a game if he felt like it. Lebron will be celebrated whenever he says a season is his last, but he will be criticized heavily if that gets in the way of winning since with LeBron and Luka you have to contend.
The lakers started this season saying it was AD’s team and LBJ had no problem with that, why would he argue over a 25 year old all-NBA guy? He’s not stupid.
As if Luka doesn’t already miss 20 games a year. Lebron’s “last dance” could have Luka out on the second game of a back to back, or in an irrelevant game because they miss the playoffs due to roster construction otherwise. Then Lebron gets his “50+ point triple double in his final game” (with like 30 free throws) or whatever…
Nothing is set in stone. I don’t understand this mentality, it ignores reality. The Warriors did not win 3 titles with KD. Same applies to people mad about the Dodgers “ruining the game” by signing…Michael Conforto, a Korean guy and a couple no-name relievers, like it matters or like they could easily need Tommy John surgery in a week. Even back to the NBA, Zion, Ingram and Murray played 0 minutes together this year. Nothing is set in stone.
Yeah, but no one actually believes that or believed that. AD is injury prone and 32 which in big man years is like 35 years old. After LeBron retired no one would be eager to go team up with him in LA like they will be with Luka. It’s like me telling my girlfriend she looks as good aa Sydney Sweeney. It’s the nice lie you say and no one truly believes it.
The Lakers go no where with Lebron, the only won the burble in Orlando with a break of over 3 months rest for finish the season. Thats all Good luk with that.
They made the WCF 3 years later. I am not necessarily a LeBron fan but can we at least stay in reality when discussing basketball?
This is such a prime example of why it is so annoying to talk about anything related to LeBron. So many people stop using their brain.
Mavs handed the Lakers the Lakers their post-Lebron era star. Insanity to not only agree to this but be the one to offer it
Sure, he may plan to stay after the deadline, but plans change. It’s also an ambiguous comment that is likely tied to what else the Lakers potentially do before next Thursday. Maybe he’s expecting the Lakers to make another deal to balance out the roster a bit, and if it doesn’t happen, then maybe he changes his mind next Thursday.
Ayton, Grant and Simons would look great in “the lake show” now!
I would think LBJ would go play with Steph after how great they played in the Olympics.
Trade him now, kickstart the rebuild.
Trade is great for the LAL’s post-LeBron era, but I don’t see anyway that LeBron can be happy about it. Of course, he’ll be professional, why wouldn’t he be? He can’t change it.
After LeBron thinks things through (he needs to hurry), I would think he would be very open to a trade, as long as its to his designated team, which I think would almost certainly be GSW. I know Vegas thinks the LAL are now a more likely champ than prior to the trade, but I doubt LeBron thinks so. He also knows he and Doncic play in the same spot. Sorry, but it’s disappointing as a fan of the game if LeBron thinks retiring a LAL is important enough to deal with all that. Whereas, at GSW, the balance of his and Curry’s careers actually become interesting league-wide. Beyond merely goodwill tours.
Think I just found Davey J’s burner account. The warriors window is closed it’s really not hard to see. Stephanie is old and that’s the heart and soul of the Warriors. The lakers just reset everything and have an insanely bright future why the hell would LeBron not want to be apart of it? Lakers > warriors right this second it’s pretty easy to see. I’m not even a laker fan just these bandwagon warrior fans suck
Not a GSW fan, in the least. I could explain why the hell, but I’d have to explain the game to you first. Obviously, that’s beyond a single post, as your ignorance of it is plenary. Suffice it to say, as things stand, the window for both teams is closed for the balance of careers of their aging stars.
I don’t have a burner account, god you people are miserable. Like, WAKE UP! My takes are COMMON. You are the ones with the weirdo, out of pocket takes! Go to Instagram and twitter, you will see hundreds of (real) accounts saying the exact same stuff I say on here!
Ereb, Stephanie is surely capable of leading a team next year. Can’t say anything about the year after. He’s been amazing this year without a great supporting cast and has been double teamed, triple teamed quite a bit. The window is not closed.
In my honest opinion and not blowing smoke here, I really don’t think the Warriors have bandwagon fans. The Warriors fan will not change teams or jump around if his player leaves. I don’t ever see that. My girlfriend by the way is a Lakers fan but only when they’re winning. And in the 90s, guess what? She was a bulls fan and had the hat the jacket the jersey. Not to discredit anyone or any team, but I think the Lakers have bandwagon fans sometimes. People move to LA and forget their homegrown allegiance and now their Lakers fans. Or they don’t even like basketball but it’s popular so their Lakers fan fans. There’s plenty of LeBron fans who were cavalier fans and now guess what, their Laker fans. So I don’t think your comment above holds any water at all.
It’s almost like bulls trying to hold on mj… for the fans … since bron is almost retired they got luka… genius.. coz they need to fill up crypto.com arena all the time. Only lakers can do that.
I would be more excited to play with Luka than steph at there current age and situation. Lakers have enough assets to shape the roster right.
Mavs must be crazy!
Duh..