“Unanimous answer was ‘No they wouldn’t”: NBA insider reveals LeBron James trade market doesn’t exist

LeBron James surprised the community when he opted into his contract with the Lakers. On Sunday, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news to the community during an appearance on “SportsCenter.”

According to the ESPN spokesperson, James is evaluating his future in LA as he wants to compete for a championship next season and has doubts about the current Lakers roster.

This news caused a stir in the community, and people started to speculate about James’ next landing spot. However, league insider Bobby Marks shut down the trade speculations on Monday’s “Get Up.” He revealed that right now, a trade market for LeBron James does not exist due to teams not being willing to give up assets in return.

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"I talked to numerous teams yesterday and asked them the same question, 'Would you give up four or five players to go get LeBron James for one year?' and the unanimous answer was, 'No they wouldn't,'" Marks said.

The insider used James' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to explain the situation through an analogy. He said that if the Cavs were to trade for James, they would have to give up six players just to get him. He revealed that one team told him that trading for LeBron James is not smart business.

However, Marks also explained that if the Lakers' star were to buy out his contract and become a free agent, the scene would be entirely different. He expressed his belief in all 29 teams lining up to acquire the four-time champion if he were a free agent.

"The ball's in LeBron James' court": NBA insider explains the power the Lakers superstar has over his trade decision

LeBron James' opting in his contract with the Lakers, which was followed by Rich Paul's expression of gratitude to the Purple and Gold's owner and GM, has the whole basketball community looking forward to what the King's next move will be.

On Monday, NBA insider Brian Windhorst made a guest appearance on ESPN radio, where he broke down the power James has over trade decisions related to him.

"If he would like to be traded, he can communicate that, he hasn’t done that, the ball is in LeBron’s court," Windhorst said.

Windhorst revealed that LBJ is one of the only two players in the league with a no-trade clause in his contract. He revealed that the Lakers' superstar has almost all control over his trade and has the power to decide which team he gets traded to and which players or assets get traded for.

He revealed that the Lakers can only perceive the notification for his opt-in and honor the decisions he makes.

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About the author

Avi Shravan

Avi Shravan's first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore.

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