James opted into his contract but is reportedly watching the Lakers' offseason moves closely. Will the NBA's biggest star demand a trade?

The Los Angeles superstar was seen getting his offseason golf on, but while his swing was going viral, so was his hat.

It would be entirely illogical for the Lakers to buy out James. He was a second-team All-NBA choice in 2024-25. Why would they get rid of him for nothing in return? While trades don't appear to be forthcoming, LeBron's name value plus talent give him legitimate trade value if he ends up requesting a deal.