Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One LeBron James Trade Suitor Reportedly Out of Running

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Rumors about LeBron James being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers continue to swirl. This is despite the fact that his enormous cap number makes figuring out a trade extremely difficult.

After the Bucks decided to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard to create cap space to sign Myles Turner, anything is on the table when it comes to NBA teams creating cap space.

James still seems like he would like to be in Los Angeles, but he has made it clear that he wants to team to be competitive. One team that was thought to be interested in James has reportedly made it clear that they are not.

More news: Multiple Teams Have Reached Out to Lakers Regarding LeBron James Trade

The New York Knicks have made it clear that they are not interested in any trade for James heading into next season, per NBA insider Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

For the LeBron-to-Knicks speculation, I checked on it and the answer was, “No. Makes for good chatter but no.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) July 3, 2025

Considering the Knicks are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference now that Tyrese Haliburton is out for the year, it makes sense that they don't want to break up their team.

New York made the Eastern Conference Finals this year with the current roster. With the Pacers likely out of the running for a title, they feel that same roster can make a run at the NBA Finals.

In order to acquire James, they would likely have to trade Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns was a key part of their offense throughout the entire season, especially in the postseason.

The Lakers are intent on keeping James and showing him that they can compete for a championship in each of the next couple of seasons. That's about all he has left in him, anyway.

More news: Lakers Among Teams Bradley Beal is Considering Joining After Buyout: Report

Rich Paul's strange statement is why these rumors are flying around anyway. James loves living in Los Angeles by all accounts, and wants to finish his career there if they are winning.

James has to be part of that winning, though. He didn't play very well against the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, which is a big reason why they lost that series.

James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this year with the Lakers.

More Los Angeles Lakers news: Lakers, Mavericks Blockbuster 5-Player Trade Idea Sends LeBron James to Dallas

Lakers' Jaxson Hayes Waived No-Trade Clause to Re-Sign With LA

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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