LeBron James is locked in, but there have been no trade or extension talks with the Lakers, says NBA insider

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, made all Los Angeles Lakers fans happy and shook the basketball world after his 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 make history yet again 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.

While this is great news for Lakers management and fans, NBA insider Chris Haynes reiterated during an appearance on NBA TV that no trade talks have taken place between James and the Lakers.

“What he is saying on behalf of LeBron James is that LeBron James has a few years left to play, and he’s still playing at a high level. He wants to win, and he said LeBron understands the priority is Luka Doncic and maximizing his timeline. He made it clear LeBron is supportive of that. At the same time, the desire is that the Lakers also prioritize him as well and make sure they are doing everything they can to still compete now,” Haynes said.

“There has been no trade talk, there has been no extension talk.”@ChrisBHaynes reports on his recent call with Rich Paul and rumors around LeBron’s future in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/GmyQf8xkXW

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 30, 2025

“That’s all he was saying. Rich Paul told me there have been no trade discussions, there have been no trade talks with the Lakers. People have been speculating on certain teams that he might be interested in. I’m told all that talk is false. There has been no trade talk, and no extension talk. He clearly opted in and wants to win. He believes the Lakers have what it takes to maximize Luka’s timeline—but also maximize and prioritize his own. That’s what Rich Paul wanted to make clear,” he added.

James has played 1,562 regular-season games and is just 50 games away from surpassing Robert Parish’s all-time record for the most regular-season games played.

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—once again emerging as the Lakers’ best player. 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.

With James committed, Lakers management will need to make smart roster additions, as those moves could play a decisive role in shaping LeBron’s future with the franchise.

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