LeBron James Talks About NBA Trade Rumors Regarding Lakers' Guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

NBA free agents that signed contracts this past summer are finally eligible to be traded Saturday, and there are plenty of rumors regarding different deals teams are looking to make. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has found himself at the center of a few reports that indicate the Los Angeles Lakers could move the guard.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Houston Rockets have interest in acquiring Caldwell-Pope. KCP has also been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Much of the talk regarding Caldwell-Pope began when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers were speaking with the Phoenix Suns about acquiring Trevor Ariza, who also can’t be dealt until Saturday. The discussions involved trying to find a third team to take Caldwell-Pope.

So what does LeBron James think about all these rumors?

“It’s a business,” James said Thursday before the Lakers were defeated in Houston. “If you get traded, that don’t mean your paycheck stops. It doesn’t matter, you’re still going to be in the NBA, just continue to get better and better. If you get traded it’s part of the business. It happens. I mean it sucks, that’s for sure, but it happens, so you just go about it.”

“My good friend Kyle Korver just got traded in his 16th year. So you think it’s hard for a younger guy, I think it’s harder for an older guy to do it. An older guy with family and kids, things of that nature, been in the same city for years and then you get traded? I think it’s harder for those guys than it is for the younger guys.”

It certainly doesn’t sound like James is opposed to the Lakers dealing Caldwell-Pope, and the league’s best player would likely have to be on board with such a move. James and Caldwell-Pope share the same agent, and Caldwell-Pope does have the power to veto any trade.

A year after starting all 74 games he played with Los Angeles, Caldwell-Pope was moved to the bench after just three games. His minutes per game (33.2 to 21.6) and points per game (13.4 to 8.6) have both decreased with the addition of James and other veterans.

The Lakers already made one key addition this season, signing Tyson Chandler after he was bought out by the Suns. Los Angeles’ defense has been much improved since acquiring the center, and it could get even better with the addition of Ariza.

Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $12 million contract in July.

L.A. is 17-11 through 28 games, putting them 1.5 games out of the top seed in the West.