Dale Zanin-USA Today Sports
LeBron James' agent has reportedly quickly shot down any notion that the star is looking to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.
“LeBron will not be traded, and we are not asking for that,” agent Rich Paul told ESPN.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching next week, speculation about James' future began to mount after he posted an hourglass emoji on social media following a loss earlier this week. It's still unclear what the 39-year-old means by that, but it didn't take long for some to speculate that he might be looking to leave the Lakers.
A local sportscaster in Los Angeles is reporting that the Lakers are actually the ones doing their best to trade in the All-Star Game.
Despite the impressive win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday without James or Anthony Davis in the lineup, the Lakers lead 25-25 and are in ninth place in the Western Conference.
With the Lakers not looking like a strong contender to win an NBA championship at the moment, James might want a shot at a title elsewhere. Or maybe the Lakers realize they're not a true contender and can start retooling for the future by moving James before the trade deadline.
In his 21st NBA season, James averaged 24.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game over 44 games. He sat out Thursday with left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, while Davis was sidelined with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and left hip spasm.
James has a player option on his contract for next season. He has often said he would like to play in the NBA at the same time as his son Bronny, who could declare for the 2024 NBA Draft after completing his freshman season at USC.
The Lakers have been a major figure in the trade speculation leading up to the deadline, with the Atlanta Hawks' Dejounte Murray rumored to be the main target. They are also said to have interest in Memphis Grizzlies' Marcus Smart.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Lakers are looking at options as they continue to try to give the elder James the best possible chance at winning his fifth NBA title. If he is indeed staying – as his agent claims – they still have a few more days to improve the squad with a move before the deadline.
