NBA Trade Rumors: LA Lakers president Jeanie Buss not considering trading 4-time NBA champion if he doesn’t extend his contract

LeBron James and the LA Lakers will be drawing plenty of attention this offseason. After coming into the 2021-22 NBA season as a potential contender in the Western Conference, the Lakers saw their season turn into a nightmare.

The LA Lakers found themselves plummeting down the standings due to numerous injuries to the roster and their inconsistent play. They finished the regular season in 11th place in the Western Conference and later announced that Frank Vogel would no longer be returning to the team next season.

While plenty of changes are expected to be made to the Lakers roster this offseason, another interesting dilemma for the organization will be LeBron James. The superstar forward is set to become a free agent after the 2022-23 season.

According to a recent report from The Athletic's Sam Amick, sources say that team owner Jeanie Buss won't trade LeBron James if he decides against signing an extension.

Here's what the report says:

"If LeBron James ultimately decides against signing an extension with the Lakers in August, sources say Buss wouldn’t see his desire to play out the final season of his contract as a reason to consider trading him. Without an extension, James’ current deal will expire after next season (in which he’s owed $47.1 million)."

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An important offseason for LeBron James and the LA Lakers

Superstar forward LeBron James

Although LeBron James will be turning 38 next season, he has still proven to be a dangerous weapon on the basketball court.

During the 2021-22 season, James posted averages of 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field.

The LA Lakers will have the basketball world buzzing this offseason as the team looks to get back on track and make a push towards the NBA Finals.

There will be plenty of work that needs to be done, as the roster lacks overall depth. One of the biggest challenges will be the fact that the team will not have a first-round selection in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft.

LeBron James has made it clear that his dream is to potentially play with his son Bronny at some point in his career. This has led to the speculation that he might let his contract run out before signing with another team in free agency.

Only time will tell if the LA Lakers can get back on track and whether or not James will stay in Los Angeles.