National Basketball Association

LeBron James 'won't be traded' by Lakers, says Rich Paul

Published Feb. 2, 2024 12:14 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a yawning 25-25 season, good for the ninth seed in the Western Conference, but it won't lead to them trading LeBron James before the NBA trade deadline — regardless of the direction they go.

"LeBron won't be traded, and we aren't asking to be," Rich Paul, James' long-time agent, told ESPN in reaction to speculation about the superstar forward's future in Los Angeles.

James, 39, is in the first season of a two-year, $99 million extension, which includes a player option for the 2024-25 season.

James, a 19-time All-NBA honoree, four-time MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP, is in his 21st season all-time and sixth season with the Lakers. He's averaging 24.9 points, 7.7 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 52.0/39.7/72.6 across the 44 games that he has appeared in this season.

James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) have been dealing with injuries of late, with both players missing the Lakers' win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, and Davis having not played in either of their last two games.

Should LeBron ask the Lakers for a trade?

On the contractual front, Davis, 30, signed a new three-year, $186 million deal in the offseason, which puts the eight-time All-Star on the Lakers' books through 2028.

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