With the start of training camp just over a month away, the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster is essentially set for the start of the 2025-26 season.
Perhaps the only uncertainty involves the future of LeBron James. Despite picking up his player option to return to the Lakers, he made it clear that he wants to compete for championships and was unsure if L.A. had a roster good enough to do it.
All of that noise has quieted, however, mainly because James has not requested a trade and the Lakers have no desire to deal the 40-year-old. Even if they did, he holds a full no-trade clause so would be able to control his next destination.
Despite all of that, one team has apparently continued to reach out about a potential LeBron trade and that is the Golden State Warriors, per NBA insider Jake Fischer:
As long as LeBron James’ future in Los Angeles remains uncertain, Golden State will undoubtedly be mentioned as a potential James suitor.
I’m told that the Warriors have called the Lakers on multiple occasions over the past 18 months to see whether there is any trade pathway to pairing James with Stephen Curry, who roughly a year ago at this time was teaming with LeBron for the United States senior men’s national team on its run to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. After all those NBA Finals clashes. James and Curry were said to greatly enjoy their experience as teammates on the international stage … with Golden State’s Steve Kerr, of course, serving as their Olympic coach.
The Warriors, furthermore, are known for their penchant to go big-game hunting, starting with their original pursuit of Durant in the summer of 2016 and carrying through to their February acquisition of Butler.
The Warriors have had interest in pairing James with Stephen Curry for a while now, but the Lakers star rejected that opportunity when it was presented to him.
If a trade were to happen it would likely have to be Jimmy Butler straight up for LeBron, which wouldn’t make much sense for the Lakers. If Golden State signed restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga to a sizable contract then perhaps other possibilities would open up, but they have yet to do that to this point.
All expectations are that James will begin the season with the Lakers. If things aren’t working out though, then perhaps a trade is revisited before the deadline in February.
ESPN to televise Lakers preseason game vs. Warriors
It won’t be long before the Lakers and Warriors meet for the first time as they will square off on Opening Night. They will also play each other in the preseason in a game that was recently picked up by ESPN.
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