“I came here to play the last stage of my career and to finish it off here.” In December, LeBron James publicly revealed his plan of retiring as a Laker. But a lot has changed since then. The Luka Doncic trade has made everyone question Rob Pelinka’s priority on whether he wants to focus on the future instead of going all-in now. Meanwhile, the Warriors have reportedly shown interest in acquiring LBJ as they seek a superstar to pair alongside Stephen Curry. But LeBron seems unbothered by the ongoing buzz.
When asked if trading for Luka has raised his concerns about the Lakers shifting their priority towards the future, James responded, “What’s wrong with that? If I had concerns, I would have waived my no trade clause and got up out of here.” Yes, LeBron is tied to the LA franchise for another year and holds the power to decide his future because of the no-trade clause. And he believes adding a young superstar like Luka is not an issue.
Moreover, the four-time champ assured that he is committed to the Purple and Gold franchise, “I’m here right now. I’m committed to the Lakers organization. I’m here to help Luka and Maxi make the transition as smooth as possible.” While this is great news for Laker Nation, it raises concerns for the Warriors. That’s because their chances of acquiring LeBron look bleaker after his comments.
LeBron James, when asked about the Lakers making the Luka Doncic trade with an eye on the future, replied, “What’s wrong with that? If I had any concerns I would have waived my no trade clause and got up out of here” pic.twitter.com/iMPxgOph83
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 5, 2025
Well, LeBron’s family might be happy if he stays in LA and ends his career here. It was last year that his agent, Rich Paul, hinted at LBJ potentially calling early retirement to please Savannah and their kids, “At some point, come on, man, it’s got to be about them. And I think from that perspective, maybe two to three (years), you know.” Sure, retiring at 40+ is not early at all. But the way LeBron has been playing, he can easily go on for five more years if he wants to. However, family commitment could motivate him to hang his boots earlier, and that is more likely to happen if he stays with the Lakers and rides out his current contract. In that case, this won’t be the first time Joe Lacob fails in LBJ’s pursuit!
LeBron James has rejected the Warriors once before
Surprisingly, this is not the first time the Bay Area franchise is going after King James. As per reports, they made a serious push to acquire him two seasons ago and there was even ongoing conversation between Joe Lacob and Jeanie Buss. The deal also had the backing of LeBron’s longtime pal, Draymond Green. So, what went wrong?
Turns out, Rich Paul “adamantly opposed the idea” as he was worried about what it would do to LBJ’s image. Of course, we all know how Kevin Durant is criticized for joining the Warriors even to this day. As per veteran insider Marc Stein, “Paul implored both teams to scrap the concept… largely because he wanted to insulate James from potential backlash over switching teams for the fourth time in his career.” Sure enough, the deal never materialized and LeBron stayed a Laker.
Feb 4, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Well, it looks like the Warriors are heading toward a similar outcome this time. And that puts them in serious trouble as another one of their pursuits would end in failure. But there is still hope that they will acquire one of the multiple All-Stars they have inquired about ahead of the deadline. Meanwhile, LeBron is excited to begin a new era with Luka. Are you hyped as well?
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