Having an All-NBA caliber of player, even at the age of 40, shouldn't be a problem, right? Well, it is ramping up to be one for the Los Angeles Lakers. Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst noted that teams across the NBA are undoubtedly paying attention to the situation unfolding in Hollywood.
The ESPN duo wrote, "It's one of the biggest topics of conversation around the league. ... There were a few inquiries from eyebrow-raised teams, sources said, just to gauge whether this was something or nothing. For now, there is no action. But it is surely being monitored."
The idea of a trading LeBron James got started when the all-time great picked up his $52.6 million player option. Klutch Sports CEO and agent of James, Rich Paul, caught attention with his comments after the decision was made.
Things have only snowballed since. Windhorst's claim of the Lakers viewing James as an 'expiring contract' quickly made the rounds and invited plenty of onlookers. The question on everyone's mind from here is whether this all subsides, or if this is only the beginning of a longer piece of drama.
Circus will only get rowdier without definitive action from Lakers
A potential trade saga involving any All-NBA caliber of superstar would warrant significant attention. The fact that it is LeBron and it is the Lakers only serves to maximize its wide-ranging appeal to the masses, fans and teams alike.
There are a couple of easy ways to make this entire experience a quick afterthought. The first of those paths leads to a more aggressive approach by the Lakers with regard to bolstering the roster.
Whether James and Paul intentionally aimed to put pressure on the front office is unclear. What is clear, however, is the frustrated response many have offered in response to the reported plan to not fully capitalize on having LeBron and Luka Doncic as the centerpieces of the 2025-26 Lakers.
After the Jake LaRavia signing, Dave McMenamin highlighted that Los Angeles had 'exercised discipline in its negotiations to preserve cap space for 2027.' The intention behind that, McMenamin noted, was to pursue a max-salary free agent when that time comes.
Going on a decade now of being disciplined to preserve future cap space. https://t.co/sVi2kg2Nti
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) July 1, 2025
That would certainly not align well with James' agent pointing out the desire to compete for championships before his retirement. If the Lakers do not ramp things up now, the other alternative becomes more and more plausible.
That, of course, would be to just cut ties here and work on sending James to another destination. Even at this age, there should not be a lack of suitors.