Haynes: LeBron James Intends to Stay with Lakers Past Trade Deadline After Luka Deal

LeBron James is reportedly planning on sticking around to play with his new teammate Luka Dončić in Los Angeles.

"League sources inform me that LeBron James plans to intend a member of the Los Angeles Lakers past the February 6 trade deadline," NBA insider Chris Haynes confirmed Sunday.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday night that the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks had swapped Anthony Davis and Luka Dončić in a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz.

Haynes said the Lakers were "very appreciative of the professionalism displayed by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and LeBron James."

"They felt like those two made this process a seamless process... and they appreciated them for their efforts in helping this thing all come together the way that it did," Haynes said.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin originally reported that James was "surprised" to learn about the Davis-Dončić trade.

James is currently only signed with any guarantee through the remainder of the 2024-25 season, although he also holds a $52.6 million player option through the 2025-26 campaign.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, there was an "internal expectation" in the Lakers organization that James would request an extension "when the summer rolled around."

Amick wrote that it was "unclear whether his desires would be met" before the trade, and the arrival of a potential new No. 1 player in Los Angeles raised questions as to whether James would return for another season with the Lakers.

The possibility of risking letting James walk for nothing this summer could potentially have pressured the Lakers to find a trade destination for James ahead of the deadline.

On the other hand, Bronny James has joined James in playing with the Lakers organization, giving him additional motivation to remain with the franchise. And although the player option wouldn't offer James long-term security, it would still make him one of the highest-paid players in the NBA ahead of his age-41 season.

Whether it will involve negotiating an extension, keeping around with his player option or navigating his potential retirement, Haynes' report indicates the Lakers are comfortable enough they won't be letting James walk for nothing to keep him in Los Angeles past the deadline.

Dončić, who hasn't played since Christmas Day, is reportedly aiming at returning by the time the All-Star break begins in two weeks, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Tim MacMahon.

With James reportedly planning to stick around past them, JJ Redick and the Lakers are going to need to figure out how to adjust the rotation to accommodate both stars in the lineup. Dončić posted a 31.9 percent usage rate when healthy, higher than Davis' 29.8 percent with the Lakers, per NBA.com. Either that number of the Lakers' usage of James may need to decrease by the time Dončić makes his Lakers debut.