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Amid Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James trade speculation, entering the final year of his two-year deal, he congratulated Cleveland Cavs president Koby Altman on a long-term extension. With some NBA fans predicting a return to the Cavs, despite Rich Paul's encouraging Luka Doncic take on James, his congratulatory post on social media could fuel that narrative ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
James congratulated Altman on his X, formerly Twitter.
“YESSIR!!! Congratulations to my brother B.Weems!! Super proud of u man,” James wrote.
Nothing about this post suggest James is hinting at potentially making a move to Altman, but some will run with it anyway, following an offseason where the Lakers have not extended LeBron's current deal. In fact, when James opted in to the final year of his deal, worth $52.6 million, the Lakers failed to make an announcement. This only further fueled the notion that Los Angeles is considering 2025-26 to be his final season with the team, whether he wants it to be or not.
Either way, James' agent, Rich Paul, is looking ahead without any expectations, confirming his client hasn't issued any trade demands as he revealed in a current interview, per SiriusMX Radio.
“There's so many voices in today's game and around today's game, and media and things like that,” Paul said. “And everyone has a job to do. For us, hey, let those people do their job. It's not for us to rebuttal or to try to give clarity on what's said, what's not said, that's not the focus. The focus is, hey man, enjoy your summer.”
For the first times in their respective careers, James and Doncic will enter training camp as teammates, looking to build off of their first-round exit in last year's playoffs.
Rich Paul's message to Luka Doncic, Lakers after public statement
In an attempt to erase any indication that Lakers All-Star LeBron James isn't looking forward to the upcoming season, Rich Paul reached out to Luka Doncic and his representatives, per ESPN.
Paul publicly released a statement addressing LeBron’s uncertain future. He gave both Doncic and the Lakers a professional heads-up. According to ESPN’s reporting, Paul reached out to Doncic via his manager, Lara Beth Seager, to clear the air. In the message, Paul made it clear: LeBron has “always appreciated Doncic's admiration for him and knows that Doncic understands the business of the league.”
For the Lakers front office, it's a natural transition from one era-defining talent to the next with hopes of maximizing the upcoming season with championship aspirations.
