Feb 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lakers Insider Has Wild Theory on Warriors Trade Attempts for LeBron James

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James will enter an unprecedented 23rd season in the league. James has defied the odds all of his career, and he is continuing to do so at the age of 40.

More news: Lakers, Warriors Have Had Multiple Calls Regarding LeBron James Trade: Report

The 21-time All-Star's summer has been a bit murky with his career in LA being in limbo. At the start of the summer, it appeared that James was doing all he could to get himself out of LA.

However, as time passes, it appears that he will remain in Los Angeles for the remainder of his career. James has been linked to a handful of times while those rumors were running wild.

The number one team that appeared to do all they could to trade for the future Hall of Famer was the Golden State Warriors. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Warriors had been repeatedly trying to trade for James.

While Fischer reported on the rumors, Lakers insider Jovan Buha shared how he believes these rumors came out from the Golden State side of things.

“I would assume this came out from the Warriors side,” Buha said. “…They’ve had a rough summer. They have not been able to make any moves because of this Kuminga situation. It’s been drama-filled, but also stagnant at the same time…But it also benefits the Warriors to make their front office, their organization, look like they’re trying to do something.”

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The Warriors and James have been linked for some time now. Dating back to the 2024 NBA trade deadline, there were rumors that the Warriors had called the Lakers multiple times about James availability.

James and the Lakers wanted to be together, so Los Angeles respectfully declined the offer from the Warriors. The details of the offer were not revealed.

The 40-year-old superstar appears to be happy in LA and will do all he can to help put the team this upcoming season, which will be led by Luka Doncic.

Doncic is now the center piece of the team after years of that being the case with James. The four-time MVP seems to be on board with what the Lakers are doing.

LA may not be the favorites to win the title or win the West, but with Doncic and James on their side, they will be a force to be reckoned with.