Lakers Make LeBron James Decision Amid Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers currently own a 14-12 record after starting the season 10-4. That 10-4 start ranked second in the Western Conference, but the Lakers have now slipped to 10th place as they attempt to hang onto a Play-In Tournament spot.

These recent struggles for the Lakers have only intensified NBA trade rumors surrounding the team, with many of those including both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Perhaps the most notable trade buzz surrounding James came when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revisited the Golden State Warriors attempting to pair the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with superstar point guard Steph Curry.

© Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports © Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports “I’d be lying if I said that there hasn’t been some conversations in the league with LeBron at some point this year,” Windhorst said during a Dec. 6 segment of ESPN’s NBA Countdown.

“Like revisit that, because you remember at the trade deadline last year, the Warriors called.” These comments from Windhorst only intensified the trade rumors surrounding James, but a new report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic revealed the Lakers’ ultimate decision regarding a deal for their superstar forward.

The Lakers are NOT interested in trading either LeBron James or Anthony Davis, per @jovanbuhapic.twitter.com/UXnbJIGhEQ — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 18, 2024 “Two players who almost certainly won’t be traded, barring them asking out of Los Angeles, are Davis ($43.2 million) and James ($48.7 million),” Buha wrote. ”

Despite the recent groundswell from certain media and fans to blow up the roster, the Lakers are not currently considering trading either superstar, according to team and league sources.”

The James-Davis duo has been outscored by 6.7 points per 100 possessions in its 564 minutes played this season (per NBA.com).

That said, both players have been individually productive, and it seems the Lakers are planning to retool their roster around their two best players.