LeBron James might not be a big Brian Windhorst fan these days. That, however, hasn’t stopped the ESPN reporter from remaining one of the foremost authorities on the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s career.
And with trade rumors are now swirling around James heading into the official start of the NBA offseason, Windhorst has already thrown cold water on the idea of the Lakers sending the 40-year-old forward to another team.
“I do not think LeBron James is going to be traded. Neither today or tomorrow or in a month or in three months,” Windhorst said on Monday’s episode of Get Up. “Because No. 1, he makes $53 million and doing a trade like that to a competitive that has a high payroll is going to be very difficult. And secondly, he has a no-trade clause, which would mean he would control all sides of the trade. Not only where he would want to go, but what he would want to get traded for.
“And those parameters just make it unlikely a deal like that would ever happen. So while it’s fascinating to think about, I don’t think that’s an avenue here.”
The entire ordeal started on Sunday following the news that James is opting into his contract with Los Angeles for the 2025-26 season. But while the Akron, Ohio, native might remain a part of the Lakers’ roster, the accompanying statement from his agent sure didn’t sound like someone currently sold on another season in Los Angeles.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
Reading between the lines, it appears that James wants to see how the Lakers’ offseason plays out before truly committing to remaining with the team. But while that’s already led to some speculation about what the 4-time MVP might do if he isn’t impressed with the franchise’s moves, Windhorst isn’t buying the idea that his end game could be a trade.
Windhorst also noted that despite James’ outlook, the Lakers were still the No. 3 seed in this past season’s Western Conference Players. And it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Los Angeles further fortify its roster in the coming days, with some having already linked the team to former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton.
So what should we make of Paul’s statement on James’ behalf? Even Windhorst admitted that he isn’t quite sure. But what he does know is that a trade would be incredibly difficult — if not impossible — to pull off, leaving it as perhaps the least likely outcome to this entire situation.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.