Lakers’ LeBron James not ‘untouchable’ on trade market after playoff letdown, per writer

The Minnesota Timberwolves sent the Los Angeles Lakers packing without breaking a sweat in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. 

Los Angeles fell in a swift five-game first-round defeat against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, possibly ushering in a new era for the franchise with LeBron James set to enter his 23rd campaign and ex-Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić preparing for his first full season as a Laker.

The 40-year-old James earned an All-NBA Second Team selection and 21st All-Star nod after contributing 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists while boasting an impressive 60.4% true shooting percentage in 70 regular season contests, but he might not have done enough to escape inclusion in trade rumors.

The Lakers want to do whatever is required to compete for a title in 2025-26 and beyond, and recent updates have indicated that a perfect offer could lead to the franchise's general manager Rob Pelinka agreeing to deal James to a prospective trade suitor this offseason. 

"If the right deal is there, no one is untouchable other than Dončić," The Athletic's Jovan Buha read during a recent Q&A livestream Monday night.

"Yes, that's correct, and I think that's how it should be."

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Even after authoring yet another sensational season, James may not be 100% safe from being thrown into trade discussions in the coming months.

Of course, the Lakers would likely need to be offered a top-5 talent in the entire league to even consider shipping the future Hall of Fame inductee to another squad, but then again, Dončić's tenure as a Laker speaks to the true unpredictability of today's NBA.

If the Denver Nuggets came calling about a potential Nikola Jokić swap, you'd better believe Pelinka likely wouldn't think twice about shaking hands on the transaction. If the Milwaukee Bucks were dead set on allowing Giannis Antetokounmpo to play under the bright lights of Los Angeles, little to no thought would go into the logistics of the trade.

While these hypothetical scenarios are fun to think about as offseason rumors start to heat up, James will likely finish out his career with the storied organization before hanging up the sneakers as one of, if not the greatest to ever play the game. 

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