LeBron James Dismisses Buss Report: ‘I Don’t Really Care’
Lakers forward LeBron James told reporters on Thursday that he’s unfazed by an ESPN report that claimed team owner Jeanie Buss privately griped about his ego and outsized influence within the organization and considered trading him earlier in his Los Angeles tenure.
“Quite frankly, I don’t really care about articles,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I really don’t. I don’t care about stories. I don’t care about podcasts and all that type of s–t. Nah, they don’t bother me. I’m 41 years old, and I watch golf every day. I don’t care about an article. I don’t care how somebody feels about me. If you know me personally and you know what I’m about, (my teammates) know what I’m about, and that’s all that matters. … I can care less how somebody feels about me.”
Jeanie issued a response to Wednesday’s report, which focused primarily on Buss family drama and the decision to sell the team to Mark Walter. In a statement to The Athletic, she said the idea that she doesn’t appreciate what James has done for the franchise is “just not true and completely unfair to him.”
Asked specifically on Thursday about his working relationship with Jeanie, LeBron said he believes they’re on good terms.
“But, you know, somebody could see it another way,” James said. “It’s always two sides of the coin. … How I represented this franchise, and what I wanted to do to represent this franchise since when I got here until now, it’s been with the utmost respect and honor and dignity. And I would say loyalty. I mean, s–t, I played here longer than pretty much any other franchise I played for besides Cleveland.”
ESPN’s report, written by Baxter Holmes, cited several specific moments or incidents over the years that allegedly irked Buss. For instance, according to Holmes, she chafed at the fact that – after pushing the Lakers to trade for Russell Westbrook – James seemed to wash his hands of that move when it didn’t work out, leaving management to take the blame.
Holmes also wrote that Buss didn’t like LeBron being painted as the “savior” of a struggling franchise when he signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.
“My whole mindset was about restoring excellence,” James said on Thursday of his decision to join the Lakers. “The things that I saw growing up with the Lakers — obviously, I didn’t get an opportunity to watch the Showtime (era), but I know the history. Then the early 2000s with Shaq and Kobe, and then what Kobe did and those couple runs with him and Pau. So, my whole mindset was like, how can I get that feeling back to the Lakers organization?
“… I was able to do that along with, you know, 14, 16 other guys winning the championship, bringing the championship here. That’s always been my mindset.”
Even if – as Holmes’ reporting suggested – Buss privately harbored some level of resentment toward LeBron, those feelings never actually impacted the moves the Lakers made with the four-time MVP. James has signed three maximum-salary or near-max multiyear contracts with the Lakers, most recently in 2024 when he agreed to a two-year, $101.4MM deal that made him one of just two NBA players with a formal no-trade clause.
Asked on Thursday, if he would consider waiving that NTC or if he wants to finish out the season with the Lakers, the 41-year-old laughed and replied, “I’m good. I’m good” (Twitter video link).
Siegel’s Latest: MPJ, Warriors, Murphy, Giannis, Wolves, Magic
The Warriors had internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. but received indications that the asking price would be higher than they’re comfortable with, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. The Lakers also aren’t expected to pursue Porter, Siegel writes, since they’re not looking to take on that sort of a big-money contract at this time (Porter is owed $40.8MM in 2026/27).
The Nets have conveyed to potential trade partners that they’re comfortable keeping Porter beyond this season, per Siegel, so if their asking price isn’t met, there’s a good chance he’ll remain in Brooklyn through the trade deadline.
While a Porter deal doesn’t seem likely, Siegel says the Warriors remain on the lookout for wings and have been linked to veterans like DeMar DeRozan of the Kings and old friend Andrew Wiggins, who was sent to the Heat in last season’s Jimmy Butler trade. It remains to be seen whether Miami will look to move Wiggins, but there’s still “a lot of mutual love” between the former No. 1 overall pick and the Warriors, who won a title together in 2022, Siegel notes.
Of course, the Warriors’ interest in Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III has been an open secret for months, and they’ve made him multiple calls about him this season, sources tell ClutchPoints.
Rivals believe New Orleans’ asking price for Murphy would be multiple first-round picks and a young player or two, says Siegel, but it’s unclear if the Pelicans would move him even if that price is met — they’ve reportedly told teams they don’t intend to. The Raptors are another team that has inquired on Murphy, Siegel reports.
Here are a few more highlights from Siegel’s latest league-wide rumor roundup:
- Although Giannis Antetokounmpo has said on the record that he has no intention of ever asking the Bucks to trade him, many people around the NBA still believe it’s only a matter of time until the two sides split, Siegel writes. There’s a sense it could happen in the offseason, which is one reason why several clubs want to hang onto their top trade assets. “It really seems like he’s made up his mind already,” an Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. “But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he’s very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn’t want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn’t be, no matter if he requests a trade or not. He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what’s going on there. It’s basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn’t want to be that guy, and that’s understandable.”
- The Timberwolves are widely expected to address their backcourt in a deadline deal, with Magic guard Tyus Jones, Kings guard Malik Monk, and Hornets guard Collin Sexton among the players they’ve been connected to, per Siegel. Charlotte has conveyed that it would want at least one asset of value (ie. a draft pick or young player) in a Sexton deal, Siegel adds.
- There’s a belief that the Magic are open to moving Jones, forward Jonathan Isaac, and/or center Goga Bitadze, according to Siegel, who suggests Orlando could acquire second-round capital and 2026/27 cap relief in a deal involving Bitadze. The Magic are operating about $5.6MM above the luxury tax line, so they could look to duck the tax altogether by trading one or more of those players, whose salaries range from $7MM (for Jones) to $15MM (for Isaac).
Fischer’s Latest: AD, Butler, Giannis, LeBron, Raptors, Vucevic
The Mavericks are said to be open to continuing Anthony Davis trade talks while the big man recovers from his hand injury, and agent Rich Paul would reportedly like to see a deal happen before the February 5 deadline. However, the market for Davis seems to have cooled in the wake of his latest injury, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Hawks and Raptors have been the two teams mentioned most frequently this season as potential suitors for Davis, but both Eastern Conference clubs have been signaling that they’re no longer involved in significant trade discussions with the Mavericks, per Fischer. The Warriors also haven’t shown legitimate interest in pursuing the 32-year-old despite being linked to him earlier in the season, Fischer adds.
By all accounts, the Mavs won’t just send Davis to the highest bidder if they don’t get any offers to their liking, so unless Atlanta or Toronto circles back to the big man or another suitor emerges in the next week or two, it sounds like the odds of AD remaining in Dallas through the deadline are rising.
Here are a few more items of interest from Fischer:
- Fischer agrees with fellow Stein Line reporter Marc Stein, who wrote on Wednesday that the Warriors are unlikely to trade Jimmy Butler at the deadline following his season-ending ACL tear. Butler has been a positive presence in Golden State’s locker room and the Warriors believes he’ll help them next season, Fischer explains, so it doesn’t make sense to move him unless his maximum-salary contract would be necessary to land a superstar like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or Lakers forward LeBron James. Both of those players remain very much on Golden State’s radar, says Fischer, but aren’t considered probable trade candidates at this time and may not be in play until the offseason, at the earliest.
- The Raptors are signaling that they’re not pursuing Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, but they maintain interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, sources tell Fischer. Toronto’s apparent lack of interest in Morant was also reported this week by Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
- Multiple sources who spoke to Fischer believe Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is unlikely to be traded at the deadline. However, the veteran big man is expected to be a popular target on the free agent market during the offseason, Fischer writes, since he’s believed to be open to taking on a more “complementary” role in the right situation after having been a full-time starter for most of his career.
Deandre Ayton Not On Injury Report After Being Poked In Eye
Gordon confirms that the Kings, who pursued a sign-and-trade last summer when Kuminga was a restricted free agent, remain the “most interested suitor.” Gordon also lists the Lakers, Mavericks and Bulls as teams that could make serious bids over the next two weeks.
- The Clippers and Lakers, who will square off Thursday night at Inuit Dome, have moved in different directions since their last meeting on December 20, notes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscription required). After a disastrous start, the Clippers put together a 13-2 stretch and have a slight lead in the race for the West’s final play-in spot. The Lakers have dropped five of their last eight and are heading into the second leg of an eight-game road trip that’s necessitated by the Grammy Awards. “I never been a part of a road trip that’s eight games, but it’s definitely very important to get the first one,” Luka Doncic said after Tuesday’s victory at Denver. “It’s never easy to play here. And the way we stayed together the whole game was impressive. And I think that builds us up.”
- Deandre Ayton didn’t return to Tuesday’s contest after being poked in the eye before halftime (Twitter link from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin), but he’s not on the Lakers‘ injury report for Thursday.
Mavericks Notes: Christie, Washington, Gafford, Weather, Riccardi
Anthony Davis was the centerpiece of last year’s Luka Doncic trade, but the Mavericks have been getting more production out of Max Christie, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic. While Davis has been repeatedly injured, Christie has developed into one of the league’s most reliable outside shooters. He’s connecting at 45.9% from beyond the arc after sinking eight three-pointers in Monday’s win at New York.
“Being in the zone, you are kind of unconscious,” Christie said. “You don’t really feel what’s going on around you. You kind of just are in flow state. Your body is obviously taking over. It’s a great feeling. Being able to make that many threes is something I’ll be chasing for sure.”
Davis is among the biggest names on this year’s trade market, while Christie looks like he’ll be a long-term foundational piece in Dallas. His production makes him a bargain at his $7.7MM salary, and he’s under contract for $8.3MM next season with an $8.9MM player option for 2027/28.
With the Mavs short on three-point threats, Clark states that they’ve been encouraging Christie to shoot them more often. His high success rate may give him a chance to participate in the three-point contest next month at All-Star Weekend.
“That would be sick,” Christie told Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “That would be a dream come true if I got invited to be a part of that, so I definitely wouldn’t turn it down. Either way, I’m just happy to be shooting it as well as I am right now. It’d be a great bonus to be in the three-point contest, but if not, I’m still grateful for the year I’m having so far.”
There’s more from Dallas:
- P.J. Washington will return for Thursday’s game against Golden State, and Daniel Gafford could be back as well, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Washington has missed seven of the past eight games due to a sprained ankle and personal reasons, but he’s not on the team’s injury report. Gafford, who has sat out the past three games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable. Sefko states that both players were able to participate in a light practice session on Wednesday. Moussa Cisse missed practice because of illness and is considered questionable.
- A winter storm in the forecast for this weekend could affect Saturday’s home game against the Lakers, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Oh yeah, that’s out of my pay grade,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We show up rain or shine. It snows on the East Coast. I don’t see them postponing.”
- In a separate story, Curtis profiles Matt Riccardi, who’s approaching his first trade deadline as co-interim general manager of the Mavericks.
Jeanie Buss Reportedly Considered Trading LeBron James
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss harbored resentment toward LeBron James and considered trading him at one point, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes claims in a lengthy examination of the state of the franchise while it was under control of the Buss siblings.
Sources tell Holmes that Buss privately complained about James’ “outsized ego” and the influence that he and Klutch Sports exercised over the organization after he arrived in 2018. She also resented the idea that James was celebrated for joining the Lakers in free agency, rather than team leaders being praised for signing him. According to Holmes, team sources have said for years that James’ camp informed Lakers brass in 2017 that he was planning to come to L.A. when his contract expired.
Buss was particularly upset about the fallout from the ill-fated Russell Westbrook trade in the summer of 2021, Holmes adds. The Lakers added the former MVP to appease James, but he was mostly able to escape responsibility for the deal after it went bad. L.A. missed the playoffs during Westbrook’s lone full season with the team, and he was pulled from the starting lineup and then traded the following year.
In 2022, Buss considered not negotiating an extension with James or even trading him, with the Clippers mentioned as a possibility, according to Holmes’ sources. He eventually received a two-year, $104MM contract in July 2024 that included a no-trade clause. Buss also believes James didn’t display enough gratitude for the team’s decision to take his son, Bronny James, with the 55th pick in the 2024 draft, Holmes adds.
Buss issued a statement to The Athletic in response to the claims made by Holmes, relays Sam Amick (Twitter link). “It’s really not right, given all the great things LeBron has done for the Lakers, that he has to be pulled into my family drama,” it reads. “To say that it wasn’t appreciated is just not true and completely unfair to him.”
Holmes touches on many more subjects in the in-depth piece, which is worth reading in full. Here are a few highlights:
- Joey Buss and Jesse Buss tried to convince their siblings to sell a smaller portion of the family’s 66% controlling interest in the team. They presented the plan to the Lakers’ chief financial officer and chief legal counsel as a way to provide cash for the older Buss siblings while maintaining control of the franchise. However, they learned at meetings last summer about Jeanie’s intention to sell most of the family’s stake to Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation. The family retains 17% ownership, just above the 15% required to allow Jeanie to remain in her role as governor for the next five years.
- Sources tell Holmes that Jeanie made the decision to sell because she wasn’t convinced that the family could continue to keep the Lakers competitive in a league where an increasing number of teams are owned by billionaires. Joey and Jesse reportedly disagreed with that logic because of restrictions in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement that place limitations on the amount that teams can spend.
- Holmes states that several members of Jeanie’s inner circle received large bonuses as a result of the sale, including former player Kurt Rambis and his wife Linda Rambis. A person with knowledge of the agreement told Holmes that Linda received $24MM and Kurt got $8MM, amounts that were chosen based on Kobe Bryant‘s uniform numbers.
- Joey and Jesse were told that “new ownership” was responsible for their dismissal from front office roles in November, but sources tell Holmes they discovered that Jeanie made the decision. “Dr. (Jerry) Buss’ idea was for Joey and I to run basketball operations one day,” Jesse said in a statement. “But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired.”
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Kerr, Sabonis, Lakers
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. raised eyebrows on Tuesday when he discussed Jonathan Kuminga‘s trade demand in frank terms, telling reporters, “When there’s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market.”
Kuminga’s agent Aaron Turner responded to Dunleavy’s remarks on social media, tweeting the definition of the “law of demand” accompanied by the following caption: “Demand is sensitive to price or playing time, So if a seller sees demand is low, lower the price point or let him play and demand will go (up).”
While it remains to be seen whether the Warriors will “lower the price point” as they explore potential Kuminga trades, they moved forward with the other half of Turner’s suggestion — following Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear, Kuminga was back in the rotation on Tuesday for the first time in over a month. The move was a success, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. In 21 minutes of action, the fifth-year forward scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and was a +3 in a game Golden State lost by 18 points.
“It was great,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He came in and had great energy, attacked the rim, made some shots. I thought JK was really good and it’s a great sign. With Jimmy out, obviously there’s a hole at that spot on our roster. So JK’s gonna factor in here again and really pleased with the way he stayed ready and stayed prepared and got his opportunity and played really well.”
Veteran forward Draymond Green viewed Kuminga’s performance as a reflection of the work the 23-year-old has put in and the positive attitude he has maintained as he awaits a potential trade.
“I think we’ve all been very vocal about how he’s handled himself,” Green said, per Friedell. “He’s been incredible. And that is proven by the game he had. If you’ve been a nuisance, if you will, that game doesn’t happen for you.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Within a larger story about the situation in Golden State, Logan Murdock of The Ringer cites sources who say multiple Warriors assistant coaches have been operating under the premise that Kerr won’t be coaching the team in 2026/27. Some of those assistants have been preparing for the possibility of finding new jobs, Murdock adds, noting that veteran assistant Chris DeMarco left earlier this season for a WNBA position. To be clear, that doesn’t necessarily mean Kerr (who doesn’t have a contract for next season) has made any decisions about his future — his assistants may just be preparing contingency plans in case he decides not to return.
- Kings center Domantas Sabonis has come off the bench and averaged just 19.3 minutes per night in his first three games back following a two-month absence due to a knee injury. According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links), head coach Doug Christie said on Tuesday that Sabonis’ limited role isn’t the result of an explicit minutes restriction from the medical staff and has been “decision-based.” Sabonis will sit out the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday vs. Toronto due to left knee injury management, Anderson adds.
- In Tuesday’s win over Denver, the Lakers looked more connected defensively than they have for much of the season, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, who wonders if the performance is a positive sign of things to come for Los Angeles. “One of the things that makes it complicated for us is, we have a lot of guys that are going to be free agents, and we have a lot of guys that have player options for next summer, so you might as well count them as free agents,” head coach JJ Redick said. “And the tendency for any athlete when things aren’t going well … you’re naturally going to turn inward. So that’s really what our emphasis points as coaches are, just being about the group and staying connected and keep continuing to fight and play for each other.”
Pacific Notes: Reaves, Timme, Wiggins, Warriors, Ellis
Injured guard Austin Reaves is “progressing well” from his Grade 2 left gastrocnemius (calf) strain and is on track to return to action at some point during the Lakers‘ road trip, head coach JJ Redick told reporters on Tuesday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).
As Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet notes (via Twitter), Los Angeles’ eight-game road trip began on Tuesday in Denver and concludes on February 3 in Brooklyn.
Reaves, who suffered the injury in a Christmas Day loss to Houston, was in the midst of a breakout fifth season for the Lakers prior to the injury, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .502/.365/.873 shooting in 23 games (35.3 minutes per contest).
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Drew Timme, who is on a two-way contract with the Lakers, received unexpected rotation minutes on Saturday due to injuries affecting Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes and responded with a career-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Redick indicated that Timme would likely be part of the rotation for the time being as long as he keeps playing well. The 25-year-old big man went undrafted in 2023 after starring in college at Gonzaga, but didn’t sign his first NBA contract until March 28, 2025. He says he’s fueled by his doubters. “In college and since I’ve left, it’s been you can’t do this, you can’t do that, you’re not good enough for this and that. All these things that I can’t do. And I see it, and it’s fuel,” Timme said. “At the end of the day, I’m a good player. I believe in myself and my abilities, and I believe that I can impact the game at any level, anywhere. To be able to have this opportunity and to be able to help the team, it’s great.”
- Veteran forward Andrew Wiggins received a warm reception from the Warriors and their fans on Monday in his first game back at Chase Center since he was traded to Miami last February as part of the Jimmy Butler blockbuster, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. The team played a video tribute for Wiggins, who spent five years with the Warriors and helped them win the NBA Finals in 2022. “Wiggs is just such a great human being and beloved in our locker room. Had so much success here and helped us turn things around from that two-year stretch when we didn’t make the playoffs,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He was just a joy to coach every single day. When you get a guy like that on your team and you go through a lot together, both on and off the court, then you make a trade, it’s just like that. It’s just crazy, this league, how this business operates. You have to just deal with it but it is sad when your relationships like that are all of a sudden — I mean you still have a relationship but you don’t see each other.”
- Kings guard Keon Ellis, who has been involved in several trade rumors this season, was available for Tuesday’s contest vs. Miami after missing two games with a sore knee, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com. Ellis will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Melton, Green, Kings
For the first time in 22 seasons, Lakers superstar LeBron James was not named an All-Star starter, observes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The news isn’t surprising, given James missed the first 14 games of 2025/26 due to sciatica and understandably had to work his way into shape and form when he did return, having missed training camp and the preseason with the injury. But it’s still noteworthy, given that the 41-year-old has made the All-Star game a record 21 times — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second with 19 appearances.
As Bontemps writes, the league’s coaches will have to select James as a reserve in order for him to extend the record streak, which dates back to 2005. To this point in his career, the only season when James didn’t make the All-Star game (or an All-NBA team, for that matter) was in 2003/04, when he won Rookie of the Year.
While James has played much better lately and has put up impressive statistics (22.6 points, 6.9 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .509/.328/.757 shooting), especially considering he’s the NBA’s oldest player, it seems fairly unlikely that the 6’9″ forward will be selected. He has missed 17 of Los Angeles’ 41 games, and there are lots of other worthy candidates in a stacked Western Conference.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Lakers center Deandre Ayton missed Saturday’s loss to Portland due to left knee soreness but he returned to action on Sunday and had a huge night in the victory over Toronto, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The former No. 1 overall pick recorded 25 points (on 10-of-10 shooting) 13 rebounds and no turnovers, becoming the first player in team history (since individual turnovers became an official statistic in 1977/78) to score 25-plus points on 100% shooting with zero turnovers, per ESPN Research. Ayton also became the third Laker to make 10-plus field goal attempts without missing a shot while grabbing at least 10 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Mitch Kupchak, McMenamin adds.
- Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton will miss Monday’s game against Miami, which is the front end of a back-to-back, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater. While it’s a small sample size (373 minutes), Golden State has outscored its opponents by a staggering +19.6 points per 100 possessions when Melton is playing, compared to a -0.7 net rating in the 1701 minutes the 27-year-old has been off the court. Melton missed most of last season as well as the start of ’25/26 due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Forward/center Draymond Green will also miss Monday’s game after being downgraded to questionable and then out because of a right ankle sprain, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
- Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee lists some surprising statistics from the Kings‘ four-game winning streak, which was snapped with Sunday’s loss to Portland.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.