4 essential Lakers who should be untouchable in potential trade negotiations

2. LeBron James

The second name on the list is no less obvious than Anthony Davis. LeBron James is not only one of the greatest players in NBA history, but one of the two best Los Angeles Lakers entering the 2024-25 season—and there's little reason to believe there will be a drop-off until it actually happens.

An ageless wonder who has raised the standard for players in their late 30s, James will turn 40 in December and hasn't yet played below the All-NBA threshold.

James earned his record-extending 20th All-NBA nod in 2023-24. He appeared in 71 games, his most since 2017-18, and shot a career-best 41.3 percent from beyond the arc at a time when his quality of play and availability should've decreased.

Instead, James produced numbers that players 15 years his younger can't reach at 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game.

It's been 21 years since James averaged fewer than 25 points per game, and his vastly improved jump shot has suddenly simplified scoring for him. He may take something of a step back at age 40, but betting against the four-time NBA MVP has never been a wise decision.

Throw in the fact that James has a no-trade clause and the Lakers should go ahead and list him as untouchable before even pretending they'd part ways with him.