There are 58 days until the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline, and while some names have bubbled up within the rumor mill, one big name won't be going anywhere, according to the player's agent.
LeBron James will finish this season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Rich Paul said on hisGame Over podcastwith Max Kellerman this week.
In a discussion about the current state of the Lakers and James' future, Kellerman asked Paul if there was any chance the soon-to-be 41-year-old star would not finish the season in Los Angeles.
Max Kellerman ask Rich Paul if there's a chance LeBron won't be a Laker by end of year"No. Where's he gonna go? Does LeBron make the Knicks better? Yes he would, of course but 29 other teams would say the same thing"(Via Game over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul)pic.twitter.com/TdUpVegXiY
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside)December 9, 2025
"No," Paul said. "Where's he gonna go? ... Does LeBron make the Knicks better? Yes, he would, of course, but 29 other teams would say the same thing."
Paul made sure to note that James has a no-trade clause, so any potential deal would have to be approved by the future Hall of Famer.
In June, Jamesexercised the $52.6 million player optionin his contract for this season, but he can be a free agent in the summer if he decides he wants to continue playing and doesn't re-sign or announce he's retiring beforehand.
While James appears tied to the Lakers for the rest of the season, Paul doesn't see another championship in the franchise's future as it's currently constructed. WhileLA is 17-6and second in the Western Conference, it's not a title-winning team, he believes.
"I, personally, don't think the Lakers are good enough to be contenders right now. Not right now,"Paul said. "I don't think they have enough to get to the Western Conference Final. I don't think they really have enough to contend from that perspective right now."
After James picked up his option, Paul issueda statement to ESPNthat appeared to put the team on notice, saying, "LeBron wants to compete for a championship" and "values a realistic chance of winning it all."
If Paul doesn't believe the Lakers are contenders come trade deadline time, will he change his opinion on James being available? Or at least have the conversation with James about waiving his no-trade clause should a contender — in Paul's mind — be interested?
James is in his 23rd NBA season and currently averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds through seven games aftermissing the beginning of the season with sciatica. While still early, the four-time NBA MVP has never averaged under 20 points per game in his entire career over the course of a season.
