Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been at the center of some trade chatter this season, and while most of that talk has revolved around the Golden State Warriors, that isn’t the only team that could make sense for the veteran.
Speaking to Heavy Sports, one source brought up the Sacramento Kings as a theoretical landing spot for James via trade.
“The one place that I don’t hear a lot of talk about with LeBron is Sacramento,” the source said. “He could change them, and they might have the kind assets to make a trade work. They have a lot of young talent, and because they’re a small market, they haven’t spent like drunken sailors. They have some draft picks a young talent. If they could get to the salary, LeBron would take [De’Aaron] Fox and [Domantas] Sabonis and elevate the hell out of them — particularly Fox. With that threesome, those guys could be a force.”
An NBA executive added to the idea.
“He could live in L.A. and play in Sacramento, no doubt about it,” the executive said.
Ultimately, James landing with the Kings seems unlikely, but it’s curious that a couple of people in the industry see Sacramento as a landing spot that could work for him.
James, 40 this month, is under contract this season with the Lakers and has a player option in his deal for the 2025-26 campaign. His future is a question mark in multiple ways.
There has been some speculation that this could be his final NBA season — speculation born out of the fact (in some cases) that he hasn’t always looked like himself this season given his age — but James retiring at the end of the 2024-25 campaign would seemingly be more of a surprise than an expected outcome.
Either way, his career is nearing the finish line, and with the Lakers stuck in mediocrity again so far this season, it makes sense that he has been mentioned in some trade buzz.
It’s important to note, however, that James being traded anywhere would seemingly have to be something pushed through by him, not by the Lakers. He has a no-trade clause and will therefore essentially only be traded if he wants to be.
That’s key, because to this point, he has frequently opted to stay with the Lakers, even when he had a chance to be traded last season and when he had a chance to leave in free agency this past offseason.
One NBA executive delivered a reality check on the subject.
“The Lakers or any team who might want to trade for him don’t really have any say in the matter,” the executive told ESPN. “He’s got a no-trade clause. Unless he goes in and tells [owner] Jeanie [Buss] he wants to leave, it’s not even a discussion.”
For now — and perhaps for the rest of his career — James remains a member of the Lakers.
