Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has had among the more tumultuous offseasons of his storied career. It started with uncertainty over whether or not the Lakers would give him a contract extension if he opted out of the final year of his contract, followed by him opting in and attaching a statement that looked like he may go as far as to seek a trade away from L.A.
LeBron and Rich Paul quickly backed away from any trade request or buyout request, but that didn’t stop the Lakers star from circulating photos of him at the Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility, out with Nikola Jokic’s agent, Cavaliers fans and now him working out in front of a L.A. Clippers logo.
The most recent photos are another in a long line of harmless posts that may have still been posted with intention, even if James is planning to play out the final year of his deal with the Lakers.
The harmless part of this post is that this is from the Clippers’ old practice facility, before they moved to Inglewood, and that Klutch Sports uses it now as a workout facility. So LeBron has likely worked out here many times and is not a new thing for him.
However, nothing James does is by accident. He is well aware, after 22 years in the NBA, that a photo of him working out in front of a Clippers logo while playing for the Lakers — especially with his contract situation — is going to stir up some buzz.
And while he may not be signaling that he wants to hop over to the Clippers — either via trade or free agency next offseason — he could be saying to the Lakers that he knows his time there is running out, and that he is looking ahead to what’s next.
All that, though, is irrelevant to the current situation. James is on the Lakers, and until he makes a formal trade request, he’ll remain with them at least until his contract expires in June of 2026.
Rich Paul comments on LeBron James trade rumors
The future of LeBron James in a Lakers uniform has come into question at different points this offseason.
At no point has LeBron demanded a trade from the Lakers, but it was made clear that he would be watching the moves made this summer. While the Lakers made moves that should improve the team, most wouldn’t place them in the class of true championship contender and some have wondered whether James is satisfied. The fact that he also owns a no-trade clause further gives him a bit of power as the Lakers couldn’t just trade him away if they wanted to.
Recent reports have suggested the opposite and that the Lakers are happy LeBron is still in purple and gold, but rumors have persisted regardless. His agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports recently attempted to clear the air, stating that if the Lakers and James wanted to part ways, the ball is in the court of LeBron due to that no-trade clause.
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