The NBA offseason has slowed down from a roster movement perspective, but the rumor mill has still been working overtime. With the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James locked into a standoff, trade rumors and retirement rumors have been running rampant.

Bronny James is in Vegas, but his performance Thursday night had a Hollywood ending. The second-year Lakers guard ended the first half against the Celtics with zero points before he flipped the script, scoring a game-high 18 points to go with five assists, three rebounds and a steal in the 87-78 loss in Summer League action.

According to ESPN, there was a series of "microaggressions" that signaled the Lakers' desire to focus on Luka Doncic over LeBron James.

According to a report from Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, Los Angeles is interested in Golden State Warriors' free agent wing Gary Payton II. "There were some whispers connecting Gary Payton II to the Lakers even before he signed with Bill Duffy," Irwin wrote on X. "I can safely say he's very much on the Lakers' radar."

The rumors seem to bounce around on how interested the Mavericks would be in actually making a move to get him. The latest report comes from Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, who stated, "One team linked to James — the Dallas Mavericks — does not have interest in gutting its roster to match James’ salary in a trade."

The Los Angeles Lakers have always been at the center of attention, but the conversation around LeBron James in mid-July has been unusually loud. Reports across multiple outlets say four teams have contacted his agent,

While NBA superstar LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2025-26 season, it did not guarantee that he would remain in L.A. How the Lakers would handle player acquisition via the draft and free agency led to speculation over whether James could be traded.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly still among the teams in the mix to land 39-year-old free agent forward Al Horford.

ESPN writer Tim Bontemps keeps it real about the Lakers "staying flat" this offseason as they look to contend for a championship.

Last season, the LA Lakers pulled off a stunning blockbuster by acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. As they continue to build out around their new superstar talent, one key member of the Denver Nuggets is on their radar as a possible running mate.