LeBron James declared one aim above all others when he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. "My goal is still to win as many titles as possible, no question," he explained in his now famous Sports Illustrated letter proclaiming his homecoming.

News broke on Sunday that LeBron James is opting into the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers (H/T Shams Charania of ESPN) at $52.6 million. While that was the expected outcome, several NBA executives and agents found it odd that he didn't appear to have his usual negotiating leverage.

After LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, made some cryptic comments on Sunday when James decided to pick up his player option for the 2025-26 season, many have been speculating that the future Hall of Famer could be on his way to asking the Los Angeles Lakers to trade him.