The headlines are all about LeBron James choosing to opt-in to his $52.6 million player option and play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26.
But then you read a bit further down in ESPN’s Shams Charania’s article about the news, and you get to agent Rich Paul’s comments.
And you can’t help but wonder: Is there a chance LeBron asks for a trade?
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
Those words make you wonder, don’t they?
There’s a bit of a past-tense nature in there. And there’s the idea that LeBron is still evaluating what the Lakers are doing.
What happens if he doesn’t like how the rest of their offseason plays out?
LeBron, of course, could’ve opted out of the player option and become a free agent. That would’ve allowed him to go wherever he wanted.
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By opting in, he’s made it clear that the Lakers are his preferred home.
But Paul’s comments, at the very least, put some pressure on L.A. to make sure it does the right thing the rest of this summer.
A James trade at this point in his career would be tricky on a number of levels, so don’t count on it.
But the 40-year old knows he doesn’t have forever left in his NBA career, and his agent has at least left the door a little ajar for a shocking outcome here.
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