The rumors and speculation that LeBron James could ask the Los Angeles Lakers to trade him have subsided over the last week or two. The reality that he will remain a member of the Lakers for the foreseeable future has seemingly set in, and people are seemingly preparing for him to stay put for all of the upcoming season.
The James trade talk stemmed from a cryptic statement his agent, Rich Paul, issued on June 29 when he decided to exercise his player option for the 2025-26 campaign. That comment, at the very least, was interpreted as keeping the door open for a trade request.
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Paul made an appearance on “The TylilShow Live” and was asked point-blank if James is getting traded.
“The man has a no-trade clause. End of story. He has a no-trade clause. It’s up to him. He has a no-trade clause. So, in the event when a player has a no-trade clause and a team wants to trade that player, that player has the ability to say no. That’s in his contract.”
The thinking was that James would ask out since the Lakers, at the time of Paul’s statement, weren’t a championship-caliber team. However, since then, they have made some intriguing additions. Deandre Ayton represents a major upgrade at the center position, and guard Marcus Smart could significantly change the team’s character and complexion with his defense and resourcefulness.
Most don’t think the Lakers are championship-caliber after those additions, but there could be a universe in which enough goes right for them to get to that level this coming season.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Rich Paul on whether LeBron James will get traded