Amid uncertainty surrounding LeBron James's future in the NBA and with the Los Angeles Lakers beyond the 2025-26 season, four teams have reportedly reached out to James's agent, Rich Paul, with interest in a trade for the Lakers superstar, Dave McMenamin reported for ESPN on Saturday.
With LeBron James at the Lakers game tonight, I asked him if he would like to speak to me about his future with the franchise. “I ain’t got nothing to talk about,” he said. My report for ESPN from Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/sFRgCYHmqw
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 13, 2025
McMenamin did not share which four teams reached out to Paul, but noted that Paul specified James has not asked for a trade from the Lakers. Paul has additionally not even talked with James about possibly wanting a trade in the future.
Current speculation over James's future comes after Paul released a statement announcing that James would extend his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers for the 2025-26 season. Paul's statement noted that their priority is for James to compete for a championship and do what is best for him going forward, calling into question if James would remain with Los Angeles if he plays beyond next season.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported Friday that in the wake of this statement, a handful of teams considered making an offer for James, including the Golden State Warriors. McMenamin's report from Paul confirms that four teams have indeed reached out with interest. James has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he would have to approve any possible trade.
While in attendance to watch his son, Bronny, compete in the Lakers' summer league game on Saturday, James was offered the chance to talk "about everything," on the broadcast, but he swiftly declined.
For now, James is set to continue starring for the Lakers this winter and is not seeking a trade. However, if things were to sour with the Lakers or James changes his mind, there is certainly interest from several teams about acquiring the NBA's all-time scoring leader.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Four Teams Have Reportedly Reached Out With Interest in Trading for LeBron James.
