Veteran forward LeBron James is reportedly “unlikely” to request a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers at any point during the 2025-26 season.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, James prefers to play out his 23rd season with the Lakers irrespective of where the team stands at the Febuary trade deadline.
“It is unlikely that he would request a trade from the Lakers in the middle of the 2025-26 season,” Siegel reported on September 17.
“All we know about LeBron at this juncture is that he is nearing the end of the line, but still has the same motivation and drive to win as he did earlier in his career.The onyl difference is that for the frist time,he is no longer “The Guy” on his team,as that title now belongs to Luka Doncic in Los Angeles.”
Siegel added that “there have been indications” that the 2025-26 season would be James’ last in a Lakers uniform, but definitely not his last in the NBA.
LeBron James to Test Free Agency?
If James does return for a 24th season, he may test the free agency market for the first time since his departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019. In fact, the 2025-26 season would mark the first time James would be playing an expiring contract through his 23 years in the world’s preeminent basketball league.
The first sign of a potential split between James and the Lakers surfaced when “The King” opted into his $52 million contract for the 2024-25 season, but with a clear eye toward the 2025-26 campaign.