As the NBA trade deadline nears, all eyes are on the Lakers.
One way or another, Los Angeles is always expected to be a major player at the deadline. And while the Lakers are near the top half of the West’s postseason picture, it is unclear whether or not they’ll look to make additions or subtractions. At the forefront of that speculation stands LeBron James.
James continues to perform at an All-Star level during his 22nd NBA season. While the shortlist of contenders in the NBA is currently ironclad, a shakeup could put James in a better position to add a fifth NBA title to his career resume.
At this point, all options are on the table and there has been speculation that L.A. could elect to shake things up by trading James. Is that a realistic possibility?
Here is more on past reporting around James’ status and what that can be used to deduce this time around.
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Will the Lakers trade LeBron James?
There have been no recent reports that indicate the Lakers will trade James this season.
Last season, reports surfaced that Golden State was among the teams to inquire about a potential deal involving James. An ESPN report from Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the Warriors’ efforts advanced to another level, though they were ultimately unsuccessful.
The common thread among most reports around any recent trade talks involving James is that Los Angeles would honor the superstar if he expressed a desire to move on to another situation. The lack of real movement is consistent with James maintaining he would like to remain with the Lakers, potentially for the remainder of his career.
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Has LeBron James ever been traded?
While he has never been included in an in-season trade, James has technically been traded once before.
James’ highly publicized free agency process of 2010 culminated in a sign-and-trade between the Heat and Cavaliers. James was not dealt in exchange for any players but Cleveland did receive future NBA Draft picks for the greatest player in its franchise’s history.
LeBron James 2010 trade details
Heat received:
Cavaliers received:
- 2011 second-round draft pick (used to select Milan Mačvan)
- 2012 second-round draft pick (used to select Jae Crowder)
- 2016 first-round draft pick (used to select Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot)
How old is LeBron James?
James is 40 years old. He celebrated his 40th birthday on Dec. 30, 2024.
James is just the 30th player to play in an NBA regular season game after turning 40. Including James, seven of the players to play past their 40th birthday are former league MVPs.
LeBron James contract
James signed a two-year maximum contract worth $101.4 million with the Lakers during the 2024 offseason. He has a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Here are the terms of his deal:
| Season | Salary | Age |
| 2024-25 | $48,728,845 | 40 |
| 2025-26 | $52,627,153 (Player option) | 41 |
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