The Los Angeles Lakers may not be actively seeking a trade for LeBron James, but they will work with the star if he wants to leave, Anthony Irwin reported for ClutchPoints.

If James requested a trade, sources say the Lakers "would work with him to find a deal that lands him where he'd rather be, but also brings back the kind of return that would jumpstart a rebuild," according to Irwin.

Irwin added: "It's also believed Bronny James would have to be part of the deal."

James is currently signed through the 2024-25 season with a player option through 2026. He became part of the first father-son duo in NBA history this season after the Lakers selected Bronny with the No. 55 pick of the 2024 draft.

This isn't the first time the question of a potential trade has come up during James' Lakers tenure. Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne previously reported for ESPN that the Golden State Warriors reached out to inquire about a possible trade for James ahead of the 2024 deadline.

Lakers leadership reportedly responded by directing the team to speak with James' representatives. According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, team owner Jeanie Buss did not want to trade James, but "has operated with the mindset that she wants her star players content with the franchise."

James reportedly turned down the Warriors. The Lakers then drafted Bronny in June, and James signed his two-year deal with the team in July.

Wojnarowski reported for ESPN at the time that James signed slightly below the maximum to allow the Lakers "a little more roster-building flexibility" in the hopes of contending.

What could theoretically impact James' desire to remain in Los Angeles would be his perception of how close the team is that title. Irwin wrote that NBA and Lakers sources reported James "badly wants to win a championship with his son on the roster."

The Lakers have slipped to No. 8 in the West after going 3-7 over their last ten games. Heading into Tuesday, the team sits 5.5 games back of the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and 1.0 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs at the edge of the projected playoff bubble.

With 58 games remaining in the season and potential trades yet to be made, the Lakers still have hope of improving their outlook this season. But the trade chatter surrounding James is set to increase if the franchise continues to hover around the postseason cutoff as the Feb. 6 deadline approaches.