Teams have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who exercised his lucrative player option.

The superstar maintains flexibility over the coming months while Los Angeles builds a competitive roster aimed at navigating a strong Western Conference.

LeBron James made the surprising decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option instead of signing a new max deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite having a glaring need at the center position, the Los Angeles Lakers' first notable addition in free agency turned out to be Jake LaRavia.

After seeing Dorian Finney-Smith leave town to sign with the Houston Rockets, the Lakers brought in 23-year-old forward Jake LaRavia in their first free agency signing. LaRavia is not a household name.

The Lakers lost a key role player when forward Dorian Finney-Smith agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets, but they quickly moved onward by agreeing to a deal with forward Jake LaRavia when NBA free agency opened Monday afternoon.