LeBron James shook hands with Robert Pelinka, joked with JJ Redick, talked about golf with Austin Reeves, and took a photo with the team's latest members Jack Laravia and DeAndre Ayton. On Tuesday at the Thomas & Mark Center, James did everything you expected a member of the Los Angeles Lakers would do.

In an area full of other team employees, scouts and NBA executives, people were talking about speculation about where James might go to play, with various trades and buyout options rising, and league and team sources told The Athletic that these options had never been discussed between James and the Lakers.

league sources told The Athletic that in recent ongoing speculation about its future, the Lakers and the NBA all-time scoring champion both expect to stay with the team for training camp once the season begins.

Also these sources said the Lakers did not get any signs from James or his representatives that he would request a deal or ask for a buyout of his contract, which would be his eighth season with the Lakers and the longest consecutive time he has played with the same team in his career.

When James's agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Ritchie Paul said last month that "LeBron knows that the Lakers are building a team for the future and he wants to compete for the championship. We understand the difficulty of winning the current victory while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what the best option for LeBron is for this stage of life and at this time of his career," sparked a series of speculations about James's possible attempt to leave Los Angeles, even though he just executed his $52.6 million contract option to stay with the team.

Also these league and team sources pointed out that Paul made similar remarks when James played for the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Lakers, when it was time to renegotiate the contract. What's different about this time is that James had to execute his options by the June 30 deadline, or give it up and become a free agent, and there was only one team at the time — the Brooklyn Nets in the rebuilding period — with a cap space close to James's salary.

The second difference is that this is the first time in James' career that he is no longer the core focus of the team. That character belongs to Luca Doncic, who was awarded last season in the most shocking deal in NBA history. In fact, Doncic's trade may provide material for the latest round of rumors about LeBron, because if a player like Luca who is only 26 years old and one of the top NBA players can be traded, then anything could have happened.

However, NBA salary rules, the status of the Lakers' roster, and the stages of James' career are obstacles to his unexpected departure, even if James really decided that he wanted to do that.

For example, one of the potential destinations that often associate with James with him is his former boss in Cleveland, assuming he is leaving Los Angeles. However, since the Cavaliers have one of the highest salaries in the league and exceed the terrible second luxury tax line, they are currently banned from trading to get James because they don't have any players who have a salary of $52.6 million. Teams that exceed the second luxury tax line cannot package contracts in transactions.

If James wants to return to the Cavaliers who have a top record in the Eastern Conference last season and have a deep roster, the easiest way is to refuse to execute his player option and then sign with the Cavaliers on a contract that is much lower than his current salary. And if the Cavaliers want to trade James, they first need to lower down below the second luxury tax line by sacrificing players and assets, and then they also need to sacrifice key players in their rotation to match James' salary.

If the Lakers buy out James' contract before training camp begins, he will be able to sign freely with the Cavaliers. But if the Lakers buy him out during the regular season, he will be banned from signing with the Cavaliers because teams that exceed the second luxury tax line will be restricted.

Again, team and league sources said there was no discussion of a buyout between the Lakers and James, and this option was just a possibility for rival teams to discuss when looking at the situation.

The Lakers also have no real reason to buy out James' contract, because while the team is setting the best long-term roster around Doncic, the goal is still to compete for the championship. They can trade James, but that could put them at risk of jeopardizing their other main goal – creating salary flexibility for next summer. Teams have been reluctant to accept contracts that last longer because they want to work hard to remain flexible.

James' $52.6 million contract will disappear from the Lakers' salary account after the 2025-26 season. Suppose the Lakers trade James to the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler, who will occupy nearly $57 million in the Lakers' cap space in the 2026-27 season. Assuming that the Lakers trade James to the New York Knicks in exchange for Carl Anthony Towns, they will have a contract of more than $170 million in three seasons.

Apart from the Lakers' roster considerations, any team that gets James's trade must weigh the assets they have to get him and how many years he can play. James remains one of the best players in the league, but he will eventually enter his 23rd season and has admitted retirement is a possibility. The deal was won by James, which was to imagine winning the NBA championship in June this year.

A team source told The Athletic that a team with connections with James—the Dallas Mavericks—has no interest in hollowing out their roster to match James’ salary in the trade.

And even if there is a deal in the market that might be better for the Lakers—a deal that creates both salary flexibility and solves other needs of the team, James also has a trade veto in his contract that he can veto any deal that sends him to a team he doesn't want to go. There are still some variables in

that may make the series move in another direction. Doncic is eligible to sign a generous early contract extension on August 3, and it remains the Lakers' most pressing priority. There is also a possibility that a trade offer that is suitable for both James and the Lakers - certainly not impossible, but it is also more complex than the proposals proposed by those commentators.

The Lakers have additional lineup reinforcement work to be done. Teams can create a roster spot by cutting guard Sheck Milton, and team sources say improving the team's defense against the ball holder is a priority. But Ayton's addition solved the Lakers' center position at least in the short term - the most obvious reinforcement direction for the team last year that ranked third in the West but was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round.

On Monday, Paul was a visit to SiriusXM's NBA radio station, reiterating what he said in several recent private conversations: LeBron should, and will enjoy his offseason. This means that if James has any major, controversial decisions to make, it will also happen in the preparation phase before the start of the regular season.

Meanwhile, James has been working hard to recover his injured left knee. He played golf in Akron, Ohio and hosted friends. He went to Puerto Rico to see Bad Bunny's performance. And he also came to Las Vegas, where he talked to his teammates and assistant coaches on Sunday, before returning to watch the second game with his wife and daughter.

In the summer league game that James and his teammates watched, the Lakers players include LeBron's son Brownie James, who still has three years of contract with the Lakers and is constantly improving under the team's training plan.

At the end of last season, James said playing with his son was the highest achievement in his career.

James said: "It's not even comparable. Being able to play games I love and being able to spend the whole season with my son is one of the most satisfying and satisfying journeys I've ever had."

And over the past week, one of the biggest reasons why James stayed with the Lakers was playing great on the court when fake trades and free agent rumors were playing in the stands.

Author: Dan Woike & Joe Vardon

Translator: GWayNe