LeBron James' Agent Rich Paul Reveals Whether or Not Lakers Star Will Be Traded

Trade rumors have been following the Lakers' superstar for weeks.

Apr 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with a referee in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers have had LeBron James on their roster since the 2018-2019 season. He helped them win the championship in the bubble in Orlando in 2020, and remains one of the best players in the league.

For all of those reasons, the Lakers would prefer not to trade him for any reason. He is still a core player on their roster for the next couple of seasons.

Trade rumors have been swirling since his agent, Rich Paul, issued a very strange statement earlier this summer. Now, he's revealing whether or not James will be moved.

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While speaking on The Tylil Show, Paul was asked if James was going to be traded. He gave a pretty straightforward answer.

“No. No. … The man has a no-trade clause. End of story.”

That seems to dispel any rumors that James wants out of Los Angeles. Of course, he would just void the no-trade clause if he really wanted to be moved. All the clause means is that the Lakers can't move him unless James wants to be traded.

It was always highly unlikely that James was going to be traded this season. He has roots in LA that go deeper than just basketball, and he's at the end of his career.

Had he been 10 or even five years younger, he might have entertained being moved. If he wants to switch teams, he can wait until next season when he is a free agent.

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The Lakers believe that they can compete for a championship in the next couple of years with both James and Luka Doncic on the roster, so they aren't going to let James just walk out.

James understands that he doesn't have a lot of other options in terms of teams to go to at this point in his career. Only the Warriors and perhaps the Cavs would be open to trading for him as they chase a title.

This past season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He shot 51.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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