The Los Angeles Lakers are used to making a big splash in the NBA world. They’re a legendary franchise, so they have one of the biggest stages in the entire association. Just look at how the team traded to bring Luka Doncic to Los Angeles last season to couple with LeBron James, which was really the most dramatic move in the 2024-25 season.
Well, the Lakers could be making another big move by trading James. It sounds insane, but the rumblings aren’t getting any quieter. James wants to win a championship, and he also wants to have a good relationship with his team, so those factors might push him away from Los Angeles next season.
Now, one NBA reporter says that this “insane choice” of moving James away from Los Angeles is “becoming more real by the day.” Here’s why.
The Lakers’ Only ‘Untouchable’ Players (Not LeBron James)
The Lakers have a lot of star power on their roster, but only two players are being called “untouchable.” In a piece published on Monday, July 14, by Tyler Watts of Lake Show Life, Watts makes the case for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being the only “untouchable Lakers.”
As for LeBron, Watts notes that he’s “unhappy with the transition from being his team to Luka’s” and that “the 40-year-old may not be on their roster for the 2026-27 season, so trading him at the deadline can’t be ruled out.”
Watts is referring to the report from Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, in which they say that while James gets the Lakers’ decision to move towards building a roster around a younger player in Luka, he was frustrated with how they did it.
“James understood the Lakers taking advantage of an opportunity to pivot to the younger superstar. But from James’ perspective, sources said, nuance was sometimes lost during the transition,” the report stated. “Doncic had never asked to be a Laker. James, for his part, had chosen L.A., coming in 2018 when the team had missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons, the worst run for the franchise since it moved from Minneapolis. Two years later, James had helped deliver a 17th championship.”
Other Players the Lakers Could Trade
Back to Watts’ piece, he notes that many other Lakers players are available for a trade before February, including Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber. That leaves Doncic and Reaves as the only “untouchable” ones.
He adds that the “Los Angeles Lakers got a gift when Luka fell into their laps” and that they shouldn’t “waste it by saving cap space and hoping another superstar chooses LA.”
“Pelinka should be working the phones right now trying to make upgrades and gauging the value of everyone not named Doncic,” Watts concludes. “That is their path to winning it all whether fans like it or not.”
So, Watts believes that each day that passes, it gets more likely that the Lakers will bid farewell to James. Then, the question becomes, where would he go? One thing is for sure: If James is traded, it’s going to be a massive deal and one for the books.
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