LeBron James is used to being treated like royalty by his teams and being the focal point of every transaction made. While there hasn’t been any firm decisions or requests made by either party, neither the team nor James have denied the rumors or tried to quell their flames. When James accepted his $52.6 million player option for the season, many people expected him to remain with the team as it limited their spending power and the ability for other teams to match the salary.
Cavs Called Lakers About Potential LeBron James Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
LeBron James is used to being treated like royalty by his teams and being the focal point of every transaction made. However, at this elderly stage of his career, the Los Angeles Lakers have decided he is not the guy to build a team around anymore, which has led to substantive trade talk.
While there hasn’t been any firm decisions or requests made by either party, neither the team nor James have denied the rumors or tried to quell their flames. There is still a chance that the trade talk is all just smoke, but for now, there are multiple teams trying to acquire the future Hall of Fame forward.
When James accepted his $52.6 million player option for the season, many people expected him to remain with the team as it limited their spending power and the ability for other teams to match the salary. A potential deal may need to include a third or fourth team to match salaries, but a few organizations have shown a willingness to jump through the hoops to acquire James.
According to NBA insider Brandon Robinson, four teams have attempted to trade for James, the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mavs
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 13, 2025
Warriors
Cavs
Clippers https://t.co/yAT42FPioL
A deal to secure James’ second return to Cleveland would likely need to include All-Star Darius Garland, but there has been rumors about the Cavs potentially moving on from him this summer anyway. At this point, it just becomes a question of how much of their core are they willing to give up for a rental of the soon to be 41-year-old.
Related: LeBron James Adds Fuel to Cavaliers Trade Rumors With Post on Monday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
