An NBA executive claims that something ‘strange’ is going on between LeBron James and the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers’ management and fans recently breathed a sigh of relief after LeBron James’ longtime agent and Klutch Sports CEO, Rich Paul, confirmed to ESPN that James will exercise his $52.6 million player option with the franchise for the 2025–26 NBA season.

This means James will once again make history by becoming the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons in the league. The 40-year-old is currently tied with NBA legend Vince Carter for the most seasons played.

Paul added that James is eager to win another NBA championship and will closely monitor the Lakers’ offseason moves, particularly how management positions the team to contend for the title in the upcoming season.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are appreciative of the partnership we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka and consider the Lakers a critical part of his career,” Paul said.

“We understand the difficulty of winning now while preparing for the future. We want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, support him, and want what’s best for him,” he added.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks explained why there’s no trade market for LeBron James

(via @GetUpESPN) pic.twitter.com/KO8RG4QFKU

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 30, 2025

Despite the positive development, the Lakers’ management has yet to officially announce James’ decision to opt in. The lack of an official statement has sparked rumors, with one NBA executive telling Hoops Wire that he finds the situation “very strange” and suspects something unusual is going on.

“Yeah, usually when a star player like LeBron James opts into his contract, the team announces the move. I find this very strange. Something is definitely going on behind the scenes. I mean, the odds of LeBron getting traded are very, very low. His salary is just too high,” the executive said.

“But I think LeBron and the Lakers’ front office are butting heads. They haven’t had an impressive offseason at all, and then there are rumors that Rob Pelinka is saving cap space for 2027. That’s just idiotic when you have LeBron and Luka Doncic,” he added.

Despite his age, James continued to perform at an elite level during the 2024–25 season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc. He was one of only three players—alongside Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic—to average at least 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists from December 30 onward.

While it remains unlikely that the Lakers would trade a player of James’ caliber, even entertaining such a deal would be problematic for most teams, as his high salary makes him extremely difficult to acquire.

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