LeBron James Reportedly Won’t Be Dealt

Plenty of big names have already been moved prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. LeBron James won’t join the list. James is expected to finish out the season with the Lakers, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

James, 41, has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any deal.

Last month, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes detailed the strained relationship between James and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, which included a revelation that Buss wanted to trade the record-breaking All-Star at one point earlier in his Lakers tenure. However, that apparently won’t lead to an in-season breakup between James and the organization.

James’ plans beyond this season remain unknown. His contract expires after the season and he hasn’t indicated whether he intends to remain in L.A., join a new team, or retire.

As McMenamin notes, the Cavaliers, Knicks and Warriors are all considered possible destinations for James if he decides to play another year. Each of those teams has been pursuing big deals before the deadline, with Cleveland reportedly reaching an agreement on Tuesday to acquire James Harden.

James is still putting up solid numbers — 21.8 points, 6.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game.