Rich Paul Denies Fan Asking for LeBron to Knicks, Lakers Star 'Has a No-Trade Clause'

The agent for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James shut down a question about whether the 21-time All-Star will land with the New York Knicks this summer.

During a live stream on Twitch, Tylil asked Rich Paul directly whether James winds up getting traded and brought up the Knicks specifically as a destination.

"To answer your question, the man has a no-trade clause. End of story," Paul said at the 5:48 mark of the video below. "

James' future has been one of the bigger storylines around the NBA ever since he opted in to his $52.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season. Paul' comments to Shams Charania of ESPN didn't amount to an outright trade request but gave the impression LeBron could press the issue.

Paul followed up days later to say the idea of a trade hadn't been discussed at any level.

Still, all of the speculation underlines how the Lakers may have a difficult time balancing the timelines of James and fellow star Luka Dončić.

The short-term objectives are the same regardless of whether you're putting LeBron or Luka at the center. The long-term outlook is much different given Dončić is 14 years younger.

In the aftermath of Charania's report, a lot of people pointed out how a James trade isn't all that feasible thanks to his age (40) and massive salary. His no-trade clause further limits the pool of suitors.

For now, all signs point to LeBron being in purple and gold on opening night. That's unlikely to quell all of the rumors, though.