All summer long, we’ve witnessed an offseason filled with speculation about LeBron James. How happy is he being a Laker? When will he hang it up, and will it be in a purple and gold uniform?
These questions hanging in the air, along with some classic passive-aggressive LeBron posts and some confusing comments by his agent, Rich Paul
, have left fans wondering about LeBron’s future now more than ever before during his Lakers tenure.Here’s what we do know: LeBron opted into his contract, is not asking
for a trade, but teams are still calling about him.
Shortly after opting in, his agent mentioned that four teams called about LeBron. Paul didn’t say who the four teams were, but the Warriors seemed like an obvious choice given they’ve contacted the Lakers about LeBron before.
On Friday, NBA reporter Jake Fischer wrote that the Warriors have, in fact, continued calling the Lakers about LeBron.
I’m told that the Warriors have called the Lakers on multiple occasions over
the past 18 months to see whether there is any trade pathway to pairing James
with Stephen Curry, who roughly a year ago at this time was teaming with
LeBron for the United States senior men’s national team on its run to a gold
medal at the Paris Olympics.
Golden State hasn’t had a 50-win season in over three years and they clearly need some upgrades if they want Curry to have one more legitimate shot at a title. So, adding a dominant All-NBA player like LeBron would be a great thing to do.
However, LeBron’s actions have made it clear he’s not interested in doing so. He could’ve gone for that type of trade a couple of seasons ago when the Warriors called, he could’ve opted out of his Lakers deal and signed with them this summer, and even now, he could request a trade but hasn’t.
So, while rumors and overanalysis of every image LeBron posts on social media will continue, it’s actions over words when it comes to James. And those actions have indicated he will continue playing basketball in Los Angeles with his son, Bronny James.
Still, the Warriors don’t seem to be discouraged by LeBron’s contract and will likely keep on calling the Lakers so long as LeBron is on the roster.
From their perspective, it’s also good to remind LeBron and the Lakers that they are interested and if they ever want to part, Golden State will be ready with open arms to make a deal happen.
For now, though, LeBron won’t be going anywhere.
When he plays on Opening Night against the Warriors, it will make his tenure as a Laker the longest single stint he’s had with any organization during his 24-year career.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
