Despite the rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers were never going to trade LeBron James unless he demanded to get moved to a specific team.
Even though there was wild speculation after James posted a cryptic emoji earlier this week, there was virtually no chance the Los Angeles front office would trade the four-time NBA Finals MVP unless he explicitly demanded a move.
With less than a week to go before the trade deadline, James’ longtime agent Rich Paul quieted those rumors by confirming to Brian Windhorst that such a request would not happen (via ESPN):
“LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be,” Paul said in reaction to some growing speculation about James’ future ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
Perhaps it is unusual to hear an agent declare that his client will not get traded, but James and Klutch Sports have enough power within the franchise that this likely ends the rumors.
While a trade seemed out of the question, it wasn’t entirely far-fetched to believe James was frustrated about the level of performance the Lakers have had this season.
For what it is worth: James has a player option in his contract that would allow him to become a free agent at the end of the season. He has made it abundantly clear that his goal is to play with his son, Bronny, once the USC freshman turns pro.
Although that means the Lakers could potentially risk losing James for nothing in free agency, any team that would trade for him would also have that same fear.
Arguably most importantly: It is unlikely that the 39-year-old NBA star (or anyone in his family) would want to relocate to a different city at this point in his life and career.
