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When LA Lakers offered Kobe Bryant for LeBron James, one superstar said no

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 9:00 PM ET

There was a time when the Los Angeles Lakers seriously considered trading Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most accomplished players of all time, as he has won five NBA Championships over his 20-year stint in the league.

Bryant spent two decades playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. This is another thing for which he is often praised by fans.

However, even the Mamba was fed up with the franchise in 2007 as he demanded a trade.

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Los Angeles Lakers wanted a Kobe Bryant for LeBron James swap with Cleveland Cavaliers

In 2007, Bryant was already a three-time NBA champion and unarguably the face of the league. Evidently, if any team wanted to trade for him, they would have had to throw in the kitchen sink.

Who could the Lakers possibly have asked for in return? Well, according to a 2016 story by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers tried to trade for a 22-year-old LeBron James.

“The Lakers once contacted the Cavs to investigate whether Cleveland would make James available in a possible Bryant trade.

“The Lakers went through their options, a call was placed to the Cavs. The intent of the call, sources said, was clear: Would the Cavs make James available in a potential deal for Bryant?” Windhorst wrote.

Now, that’s huge. Trading for James? Even the Cleveland Cavaliers front office was shocked.

“It was the only time a team ever called to make an offer for James,” a source told Windhorst.

Kobe ultimately ended up staying in LA and won two more NBA titles with the Lakers. As for James, playing for the Lakers was in his fate, just not at that time.

LeBron joined the iconic franchise in the summer of 2018 and is preparing for his eighth season with the organization this summer.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant’s reaction to potentially the greatest NBA trade of all time

Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Of course, James was deemed untouchable by the Cavaliers, but what did the King think of it?

“I believe it. If you give up one big fish, you got to get a big fish, too,” James told ESPN.

Even if the Cavs and Lakers had found an agreement, there was one more obstacle – Kobe Bryant’s no-trade clause.

“I never would’ve approved it. Never. The trade to go to Cleveland? Never. That wasn’t one of the teams that was on my list. It was Chicago, San Antonio [or] Phoenix,” Bryant stated.

No trade came to fruition as Kobe joined the Lakers for the 2007-08 season. Bryant had one of the best seasons of his career as he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

He was also named the NBA MVP for the 2007-08 season. Bryant did lead the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals, only to suffer a 4-2 defeat against the Boston Celtics.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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