LeBron James made the headline after selecting the $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s unprecedented for a player who quickly turned 41 and was able to make $52.6 million a year, but with exceptions, they have to be anything other than LeBron James.
After all, Wang may be preparing for his 23rd year in the NBA, but he is still one of the best players in the league. Nevertheless, the decision to opt for the final year of James’ contract has been heavily criticized.
why? Well, because the Lakers now have a young superstar in the form of Luka Donsic. Obviously, the front office is eager to build around Luka, rather than meet James’ demands.
Since James decided to be the mainstay of NBA trade rumours, with many hoping that the 2025-26 season will be his last.
With that in mind, the Golden State Warriors apparently considered a deal for James when he decided on the player’s options, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst.
“A small number of teams, including the Golden State Warriors, who tried to trade James in 2023-24, have once again considered whether to make the offer,” the ESPN report said.
The Warriors have maintained interest in LeBron last year or so. Furthermore, considering that the dub is not moving yet, this decision could be a grand plan to trade for James.
After all, it would mean James and Stephen Curry become teammates. It will be interesting to see if the Warriors are exploring this option.
At the end of the day, don’t forget that James has a non-trade clause in his contract. So the movement only occurs if the 4X NBA MVP agrees.
James has given the Lakers a heart and soul over the past seven seasons, leading his team to the 2020 NBA Championship.
As a result, it’s no surprise that LeBron has problems with the Lakers moving away from him right away. Additionally, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, all the signs indicate that the 2025-26 season is the last time fans see James wearing the iconic purple and gold jerseys.
“James understood that the Lakers were taking advantage of the opportunity to pivot into younger superstars, but from James’s point of view, the nuances were sometimes lost during the transition, according to sources.
“Donsic never asked to be a Laker. James chose LA in 2018, when the team missed out on the playoffs for five consecutive seasons.
“Two years later, James was helping to hold the 17th championship,” they concluded.
James averaged 26.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game for the Lakers during his seven-year stint with the organization.