Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James may be on the cusp of his third consecutive season as the league's oldest active player (he'll be 41 in December), but he remains an All-NBA-tier talent even in his dotage.
That's why he was ranked as the league's best potential free agent heading into the summer on multiple lists.
James eventually decided to pick up his $52.7 million option for 2025-26, but his agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania that James was looking to win now — and, by extension, the language of Paul's quote seemed to indicate the four-time league champ could strive to navigate a trade out of town.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul said. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
During his tenure in Los Angeles, James brought the franchise to two Western Conference Finals alongside 10-time All-Star big man Anthony Davis, winning it all in 2020.
The Lakers flipped Davis for five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic — who's 14 years younger than James and six years younger than Davis — midway through the 2024-25 season, but failed to replace Davis in the frontcourt, leaving massive gap in the middle during the playoffs.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future," Paul continued. "We do 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, are supportive and want what's best for him."
As of this writing, the Lakers have still not addressed their center issue. L.A. has only added one player, Jake LaRavia, in free agency, and has lost another, 3-and-D veteran wing Dorian Finney-Smith. The Lakers also selected a wing in the draft, trading up to acquire forward Adou Thiero out of Arkansas with the No. 36 pick.
So what does James himself want to do as his Hall of Fame NBA tenure winds down?
The four-time league MVP posted a photo of himself wearing a hat with a cryptic "Welcome Home" message recently, as captured by Legion Hoops.
James has already returned to the team that drafted him, the Cleveland Cavaliers (an hour away from his hometown of Akron, Ohio), once before when he felt a new team was sagging. Would he do it again to wrap up his career?
LeBron James rocking the “Welcome Home” hat on his IG story pic.twitter.com/mdLzcxJ01U
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 2, 2025
Armed with All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen (although Allen was not named an All-Star this year), Cleveland finished with a 64-18 record in 2024-25 and the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. The Cavaliers fell in five games to the upstart Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs while grappling with injuries, but the team has the assets and health now to compete for a Finals berth in the banged-up East — with or without Akron's finest.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!