LeBron James has been the subject of quite a few rumors lately. With the Los Angeles Lakers struggling for much of the season, plenty of teams have geared up for a possible run at James this offseason, when he can become a free agent by declining his player option. Some teams tried to move even faster than that. Reports indicated that both the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors attempted to trade for James at the deadline. They didn’t get far, and the Lakers reportedly consulted James on Golden State’s overtures before he told them that he did not want to be traded.
On Sunday, in a media appearance before his 20th All-Star Game, James continued to deflect rumors about his future outside of purple and gold. “I am a Laker and I am happy and have been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way,” James said.
This echoes sentiments what his agent, Rich Paul, gave on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “He’s committed to the Lakers,” Paul said. “Jeanie [Buss] has been an incredible partner for him and us, and I think it’s important for that to be understood and to be respected. Obviously there’s ups and downs and emotions throughout the course of a season, but ultimately, LeBron’s committed to the Lakers.”
Most reporting has suggested that James would prefer to finish his career in Los Angeles. However, James notably has not publicly committed to picking up his player option for next season. His posturing before the deadline hinted at displeasure with the Laker roster, and further complicating matters is the draft status of his son, Bronny. James has been vocal about his desire to play with his son, but if another team drafts him, he’d have to move or hope the Lakers can execute a trade to fulfill that desire.
So long as James has the capacity to become a free agent, the pressure is on the Lakers to put a winner around him. Still, these comments should be encouraging to a team that is planning to use its three tradable first-round picks to make significant upgrades over the summer. James may not have signed on the dotted line, but all indications suggest that he hopes to continue winning in Los Angeles.
