LeBron James has one of the most enviable CVs in the NBA at the moment. With 4 championships under his belt, James is still hungry for more. Thus, when trade rumors of such an athlete break out, the transfer market is expected to go crazy. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. In fact, the market value of James is plummeting due to one major reason.
Recently, speculations surfaced that James might be looking for a trade. With the Lakers looking to build a strong roster, LeBron James’ massive salary is posing a significant challenge for the franchise. Thus, the option of trading James looked pretty much viable. But a look at the market stated that the Lakers might not be getting the desired value for James. And that is because of his age. At 40, most teams do not want to spend a chunk of their budget banking on James.
NBA teams don’t believe it’s ‘smart business’ to gut their roster for 40-year-old LeBron James in a potential trade, per @BobbyMarks42
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025
(🎥 @GetUpESPN )
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Surely, despite being 40, James had an impressive season last year. Playing in 70 games, the King dropped an average of 24.4 points per game. However, despite all the positives, the teams seem uninterested. Meanwhile, recent reports also stated that this might be LeBron James’ final season with the Lakers.
LeBron James Having His Last Dance With The Los Angeles Lakers?
James has opted in for a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season. However, according to reports from Sam Amick, this might be James’ final season with the Lakers. While the franchise has a lot of respect for James, they do not want to continue with him beyond 2026. And that’s because the Lakers are primarily focusing on developing Luka Doncic as the next face of the franchise.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that this could be LeBron James' last season as a Laker, even if he chooses not to retire, writes @sam_amick.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 30, 2025
While the Lakers most certainly care about how James’ final chapter goes, any plans that go beyond the 2025-26 season present… pic.twitter.com/khpkkOfozX
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Another factor in the Lakers’ reluctance is James’ huge salary cap. Investing max salary for James beyond the next season feels like an unwise move. Thus, with many complications creeping up, it remains to be seen what the future has in store for LeBron James.
Also Read: LeBron James Pushes For Major NBA Change Amid Growing Frustration With Season Honors System
