Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has — against his will and despite not having done anything — been at the top of the franchise news cycle once again. This time, it’s because of an ESPN report stating that governor Jeanie Buss turned on LeBron over the years and actually tried to trade him, in large part because she felt he was getting too much credit for saving the franchise.
This came to light as part of a much larger report on continued drama within the Buss family over the team’s sale. Jeanie reacted almost immediately to defend LeBron, stating that the parts of the article regarding their relationship were untrue. But the accuracy of the rest of the report calls into question whether the LeBron sections are true, too.
The Lakers went on to lose their next game to the L.A. Clippers, but the focus of LeBron’s post-game interviews was the Buss article. LeBron responded to all types of questions about the piece, but gave an extremely vague answer when asked about his future with the Lakers, via Underdog:
LeBron James when asked if he still wants to be with the Lakers:
“I’m good. I’m good. I’m good… Everybody’s crazy. Everybody’s f**kin’ crazy.” pic.twitter.com/QAhJoN2JrZ
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 23, 2026
LeBron’s future with the Lakers was already muddy, as he is on an expiring contract and did not receive the contract extension he reportedly desired in the offseason. There have also been growing trade rumors with teams like the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in recent months.
A situation like this could certainly exacerbate things and make his exit — either via trade or free agency in the summer — all the more likely. His vague answer definitely doesn’t give comfort to those hoping that James might retire a Laker and stick with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
JJ Redick: Everybody in the organization appreciates LeBron James
In the wake of the Buss article, Lakers head coach JJ Redick rushed to the defense of LeBron. He said that everybody within the organization appreciates what LeBron has done and praised him for being a loyal face of the franchise over the last eight years.
He said that being in that role for the Lakers is especially difficult, and that James has handled it with grace every step of the way.
