LeBron James opted into his $52.6M deal, with Rich Paul hinting at a possible trade.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James has officially exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 season, opting in ahead of free agency and removing himself for the open market before Monday’s festivities get going starting at 6 p.m. ET.

LeBron’s decision, however, may be less about staying in Los Angeles and more about keeping the door open for a potential exit depending on how things develop in the next few days and weeks.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James remains “uncertain about the Lakers roster moving forward” and is watching closely to see whether the team makes the right moves to keep him in purple and gold.

“He wants to compete for a championship next season. And he’s gonna be monitoring very closely, are the Lakers gonna make the moves that puts them in position to seriously compete in that vaunted Western Conference?” — ESPN’s Shams Charania

On Sunday, James’ longtime agent, Rich Paul, reinforced that idea with a carefully worded statement (shocker!) to multiple outlets, including ESPN and The Athletic.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.” — Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul

Those comments and LeBron’s decision follow a dinner outing in New York City where LeBron was overheard in a conversation posted to Sportscenter’s Instagram account in which he’s heard saying, “Savannah wants me to f—ing retire in the next year or so.”

At age 40, James remains as productive as the best doing it out there. LBJ is coming off putting up 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season, but the Lakers’ early playoff exit and current roster uncertainty have made his situation more fluid than ever.

LeBron has a no-trade clause in his contract, and by opting in, he was able to retain the right to veto any move, effectively allowing him not only to force a trade but also to pick his next destination by blocking all sorts of deals that don’t please him.

The Knicks, connected to LeBron since he first became a free agent 15 years ago, only to ditch them for South Beach, are back in the rumor mill regarding a potential trade for the King and as a possible landing spot for the GOAT.

James has spoken in the past about his admiration for New York and Madison Square Garden. A 2020 report from Bill Simmons confirmed that the Knicks were LeBron’s first choice in 2010 before their pitch collapsed.

“From everyone I’ve talked to in the know since then, it’s clear that the Knicks were the first choice,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said. “It was basically the Knicks’ to lose, and they just couldn’t stay out of their own way. The stories are legendary.”

This time around, the Knicks are much better positioned to land LBJ, and it’s not that LeBron doesn’t keep showing love for NYC every time he has a chance.

New York just put together its best season in a quarter century and was just a few plays short of making it all the way to the Finals, only losing to the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.

According to the early 2026 NBA title odds, the Knicks are the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference and potentially face reigning champions the OKC Thunder in next year’s finals.

New York also holds key assets that could match salaries in a potential trade for James and satisfy the Lakers trade demands, not only in one single way but two: either by sending Karl-Anthony Towns’ humongous salary straight up to Cali, or building a package centered around OG Anunoby/Mikal Bridges and additional contracts to match up LeBron’s salary.

Whether the Knicks pursue a mid-summer deal or wait for signals from Klutch, the opportunity is at least kinda on the table once again and, perhaps, this is both the right time and the easiest path New York has had to land LeBron and win a championship the city has been waiting for since 1973.

Potential Knicks-Lakers Trade Frameworks

• One-for-one Karl-Anthony Towns

• OG Anunoby Package

• Mikal Bridges Package