Reporter suggests Lakers should trade LeBron James if they start slowly
He decided to exercise the player option on his contract for the 2025-26 campaign, and for several reasons, it would be next-to-impossible to work out a trade where his destination team would have enough remaining talent to compete for the NBA championship. However, that reality hasn't entirely eliminated the trade buzz surrounding the 40-year-old.
John Hollinger of The Athletic suggested that it would be a good idea for the Lakers to trade James before this winter's trade deadline if they don't start off the season well.
"While he opted in to the final year of his contract and does not appear to be an imminent trade candidate, as our Joe Vardon and Dan Woike reported here, that doesn't necessarily mean returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal was at the top of his wish list," Hollinger wrote. "In particular, the whispers about him having eyes for Dallas — a place where he could have teamed up with former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving and young phenom Cooper Flagg — before opting into his deal were hard to ignore.
"... Nonetheless, this situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly. The Lakers set themselves up to have max cap room next summer once James' salary comes off their books, taking advantage of an artificially low cap hold for Austin Reaves. If that's their angle, wouldn't it make sense to cash in their James stock if they aren't challenging at the top of the West?"
The Lakers have somewhat quietly and gradually improved their roster after losing in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They signed up-and-coming forward Jake LaRavia and center Deandre Ayton and have gotten an agreement from former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. Those three men should offset the loss of 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who joined the Houston Rockets.
While L.A. doesn't appear to be a true championship contender, it could be a top-four team in the Western Conference, and it may not be done making moves. Despite all the talk about the franchise wanting to keep lots of salary cap space clear for the next two summers, it doesn't appear to be looking to punt this coming season.
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