LeBron James responded to rumors that were cranked into high gear when the Los Angeles Lakers star was spotted working out in Cleveland.
James, 40, was conducting his offseason workout at the Cavaliers’ practice facility in Independence, Ohio, about 20 miles south of Cleveland. The small suburban town is about halfway between Cleveland and Akron, where James was born and raised, and where his legend was born as a high school prodigy.
The photo showed James with Denver Jones, the former Auburn point guard who got a summer league invite from the Cavs, according to Sports Illustrated.
James dismisses the rumors
Someone leaked the images of James and Jones to social media. James quickly dismissed the insinuations.
“I live here still and train every summer,” James said on X.
That started the innuendos and trade rumors that emanated from the fact that the Lakers were sold by the Buss family to Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Buss family sold their franchise
The Buss family, which has owned the Lakers since 1979, are selling a majority stake in the team to Walter for a valuation of $10 billion. Jeanie Buss, who has been the governor of the Lakers, will remain in that role after the sale.
There has been talk that James, who turns 41 in December, would want to end his career where he started it, just 40 miles up the street from his Akron hometown in Cleveland.
LeBron James’ agent says he’s open to possibilities
James has exercised his 2025-26 option to make $52 million with the Lakers for the upcoming season. James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, further fanned the flames of a possible trade by explaining that James is open to another basketball home.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul said. “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.”
Could James return to Cleveland, again?
On the surface, it would seem that the Cavs would be a logical option, because of the proximity to Akron and he also owns his mansion in the upscale suburb of Bath, Ohio. Secondly, James played 11 seasons for the franchise and helped them 2016 NBA championship, the first in any sports franchise in more than 50 years.
Moreover, some sports pundits believe the Cavs, at least on paper, might be the best team in a depleted Eastern Conference and would give James the best chance on winning one more title before retirement.
However, the Cavs made it clear they “are not that interested” in James’ services should he indicate that he’d like to explore trade options out of Los Angeles, NBC Sports reported.
