"The team has been resistant to taking on longer-term contracts in an effort to maintain flexibility," The Athletic wrote. "... if the Lakers were to, hypothetically, trade James to the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler, who is nearly 36, they would have Butler under contract for the 2026-27 season at nearly $57 million."

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves just a couple of months ago. Despite that early exit, he remains the talk of the town this offseason. Much of it centers around his future in the NBA.

LeBron James has been the face of the Los Angeles Lakers since arriving in Hollywood in 2018. He won the organization its first title in a decade in 2020 and turned in another strong performance last year in his age-40 season.