Lebron James has no buyout, shops with Lakers, expected to be with a team: sources

Las Vegas – Lebron James shook hands with Rob Pelinka, joked with JJ Redick, spoke to Austin Reaves with Golf and posed with the latest players in his team, Jake Laravia and Deandre Ayton. At the Thomas & Mack Center, James did everything you would expect on Monday evening that a member of the Los Angeles Lakers would do so.

In the sections that are filled with employees of other teams, scouts and managers around the NBA The athletewere never discussed between James and the Lakers.

In the middle of the constant speculations recently about his future, both the Lakers and the people near the leading goal scorers of the NBA await that he will be with the organization for the training camp after the beginning of the season, the sources of the league shared The athlete.

The same sources said that the Lakers had not received a hint from James or his representatives that he would apply for a trade or ask to get out of the last year of his contract, which would be his eighth season with the Lakers, the longest successive route with an organization in his career.

When James' Agent Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, he said last month that “LeBron knows that the Lakers want to build for the future. We understand the difficulty of gaining now while preparing for the future. Contract option of $ 52.6 million for the overnight value.

The same league and team sources pointed out that Paul has made similar comments in the past when James played either for the Cleveland Cavaliers or Lakers when it was time to negotiate a contract. The difference in this case: James had a deadline of June 29 to take up or reject his option and become a free agent, and there was only one team – the reconstruction of Brooklyn Nets – with the cap room to approach James' salary at all.

A second difference: For the first time in his career, James is not the focus of the team. This role belongs to Luka Dončić, who acquired the Lakers in one of the most shocking shops in NBA history last season. In fact, Dončić's trade may have given some oxygen for the latest round of Lebron rumors, because if a player like Luka – who is only 26 years old and is one of the best players in the NBA – can be traded, then everything could happen.

But the realities of the NBA salary limits, the condition of the Lakers 'squad and the condition of James' career would make this next step to speculate – James asks and gets his exit from the team through a trade or buyout – are street blocks to his Lakers tenure, which end with a surprising outcome, and James, even he wants himself to.

As an example, one of the teams is regularly connected to James as a possible goal in a hypothetical departure from Los Angeles in Cleveland. Except because the Cavs have one of the highest salary statements in the league and are over the dreaded second apron, they can currently be excluded from retail for James because they have no players who earn $ 52.6 million. Teams about the second apron are not allowed to aggregate salaries in shops.

If James wanted to join Cleveland again what made the best record in the Eastern Conference last season and has a deep squad, it would be easiest to reject his player option and sign it with the CAVs to sign a fraction of what he is doing now. And if the Cavaliers wanted to deal for James, they would first have to have the second apron by victims of players and assets and then would have to sacrifice the key pieces in their rotation in order to meet James' salary.

If the Lakers bought him out of his contract before the start of the training camp, he can freely sign the Cavs. But if the Lakers bought him out in the regular season, he would not sign at Cleveland because of the restrictions in teams above the second apron.

Again, team and league sources said that there were no discussions about a buyout between the Lakers and James, the option is only a way discussed by the competing teams while examining the situation.

The Lakers also had no real reason to get James out of his contract because the team is still aiming to fight while formulating the best long -term squad around Dončić. You could act James, but that might be at risk of pollution of one of your other main goals and creating the flexibility of the salary for the next summer. The team was resistant to long -term contracts to maintain flexibility.

James '52, 6 million dollar contract appears at the end of the 2025-26 season from Las Books. If the Lakers hypothetically James with the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler, who is almost 36 years old, would trade butler with almost $ 57 million for the 2026-27 season. If the Lakers were hypothetically swapping James for New York for Karl Anthony cities, they would have contracted cities and more than $ 170 million in three seasons.

In addition to the concerns of the Lakers squad, every team who acts against James must weigh up the fortune that gives up in order to acquire him against the number of years that he has left. James is still one of the best in the league, but still entered his 23rd season and has recognized that retirement is a way. In order to act for James, it means winning an NBA title this June.

A team associated with James – the Dallas Mavericks – The athlete.

And if there was a potentially better trade for the Lakers-a one that would create the flexibility of the capsule and at the same time concern some of the other needs of the team-James has a complete no-trade clause in his contract and could have a veto veto veto that would send him to a place that he would not want.

There are some variables that could swing this saga in a different direction. Dončić is entitled to sign a lucrative contract extension on August 2 and remains the most urgent priority of the Lakers. There is also the possibility that a trade offer is materialized that could correspond to both James and the Lakers – certainly not impossible, but also more complicated than believing minds.

The Lakers have to do additional roster work. The team can create a squad place by refraining from waking Shake Milton, and team sources said that improving the team's defense against attack has a priority. But the addition of Ayton answers the questions of the Lakers at least at short notice – the most obvious growth area of last year's team, which became third in the west before it bounced off the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round.

On Sunday Paul came to Siriusxm's NBA radio and repeated what he recently said in numerous private conversations: LeBron should enjoy his summer. Among other things, it means that James, if there is a large, controversial decision for James, would occur in building the regular season.

In the meantime there was an exhausting post -processing of James' injured left knee. He played Golf and has friends in Akron, Ohio, host. There was a trip to Puerto Rico to see a bad rabbit. And there was his stop in Las Vegas, where he spoke to teammates and co -trainers on Saturday before watching a second game with his wife and daughter.

Among the Ligers of the Summer League, who watched James and teammates, was Bronny James, Lebron's son, who is under contract in Los Angeles three more seasons and improved as part of the organization's development plan.

At the end of last season, James and his son called the best performance of his career.

“It is not even nearby. The game I love, and being able to be together with my son all year round with my son, was one of the most pleasing and satisfactory trips I've ever been,” he said.

And in the past week, when fake trades and scenarios for freelance agency took place in the stands, one of the main reasons for the fact that James remains well played on the square.

Sam Amick contributed to this story.

(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)