LeBron James won't be leaving the Lakers before the trade deadline, according to his agent, Rich Paul. As the Lakers try to improve its roster to better contend for a postseason spot, LeBron won't be included in those trade scenarios.
"LeBron won't be traded, and we aren't asking to be," Paul said via ESPN.
The response from Paul comes after there was social media speculation on Thursday that the Lakers could be considering moving James. The NBA's all-time leading scorer also posted a cryptic message on social media of an hourglass emoji, leading many to wonder what he could be talking about. However, it doesn't appear like LeBron will be going anywhere before the trade deadline next Thursday (Feb. 8).
Trading LeBron would be a shocking move for the Lakers, who have been active in trade talks regarding other players on their roster, namely D'Angelo Russell. James is owed $47.6 million this season, so any team trading for him would have to match the hefty salary they'd be taking on. James also has a $51.4 million player option this summer which he could decline to become an unrestricted free agent.
While it sounds like James isn't going anywhere ahead of the trade deadline, that doesn't mean he'll be on the Lakers forever, especially if the team isn't seriously contending. Despite making it to the Western Conference finals a season ago, L.A. has failed to carry over that success from their postseason run. The Lakers did just beat a fully healthy Celtics team without both LeBron and Anthony Davis in the lineup, but that win only brought their record to .500 at 25-25. It's been a season where the Lakers take one step forward, only to fall back two or three steps, and while an upgrade at the trade deadline could help give them the jolt they need to move up the standings in the West, the options available right now may not be worth parting with multiple first-round picks.
But if the Lakers don't prove to LeBron that they can remain competitive either with moves at the trade deadline or by being aggressive this summer, we might be taking a more serious look at James' future with the purple and gold. If he chooses to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Lakers would obviously have competition in retaining the 39-year-old who is still performing at a high level.
There's also the unknown variable of James's son, Bronny James, whom he's expressed interest in playing alongside in the NBA. Bronny is in his freshman year at USC, and while it's unclear at this moment if he'll declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, if Bronny does head to the NBA, James could choose to opt out of his contract and sign a deal to play for whichever team drafts his son.
While the threat of LeBron leaving the Lakers doesn't appear to be imminent as the trade deadline approaches, it is a bigger discussion that could be revisited as soon as this summer.
