The stars were out in Las Vegas for tonight’s Lakers vs Clippers Summer League encounter. And the biggest one of them all, LeBron James, was present in the arena to witness Bronny in action. Accompanying him were his wife Savannah, daughter Zhuri, and nearly half the Lakers’ main roster. Even JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka were in the building. But amid the unexpected team reunion, James’ cold behavior left Laker Nation disappointed.

You see, several Lakers players joined in for a courtside picture during the game. But while Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes, and Deandre Ayton stood shoulder to shoulder, with smiles on their faces, James seemed a bit distant, more focused on Zhuri. It’s in the little details.

To several LA fans, this meant James was not fully locked in with his teammates. Maybe, they are reading a bit too much into it, but that’s what happens when there is escalating trade buzz about a superstar. After Rich Paul openly stated that LeBron wants to compete for a championship, hinting at a potential trade, he told veteran insider Dave McMenamin that four teams have already inquired about his availability.

Per reports, those four teams are the Warriors, Mavericks, Cavaliers, and Clippers. All potentially just a piece away from legitimate title contention. An even more concerning detail from tonight’s game was that LeBron was spotted exchanging pleasantries with Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Ty Lue, further fueling the Clippers rumors. While several basketball pundits have claimed that James will “never join” the Lakers’ LA rivals because that could tarnish his legacy, the idea does not seem too far-fetched.

According to media veteran Dan Woike, the Lakers do not want to take any contracts that go beyond next season in a LeBron trade. That leaves Clippers and Heat as major contenders because they are the only teams that can send out $50M+ worth of expiring deals. And this possibility has Laker Nation worried.

NBA World urges Lakers to trade LeBron James after shocking meeting with Steve Ballmer and Co.

Soon after LBJ’s pic with his teammates went viral, fans began reading into the details. Comments like “LeBron is about 6 inches away from the rest of the guys. The rest of the guys are all arm to arm. This means he’s going to Dallas. Am I doing this right?” and “oh yh Bron outta there” began flooding in. Earlier tonight, James had a wholesome interaction with Rob Pelinka. So, these mixed signals have left the fans confused.

Meanwhile, many Lakers fans have given up on the four-time champ and are now urging Pelinka to trade him. One netizen wrote, “Trade Bron. We won’t want him” while another said, “Get LeBron out this pic man.” Clearly, fans are starting to get frustrated with this looming dilemma that has left the Lakers in limbo.

Sure enough, fans’ attention immediately went to James’ brief interaction with Ballmer and other Clippers’ members, as one found it “interesting” while another claimed “OMG it’s happening” referring to a potential trade.

Well, Clippers already have a stacked roster with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden leading the charge. Plus, they have added Brook Lopez and John Collins this summer. And the idea of playing under his former coach, Ty Lue, with whom he won a championship in Cleveland, could truly motivate LeBron to make the unexpected move of joining the Clippers. In return, Pelinka would get several valuable assets to build a roster around Luka Doncic. Seems like a win-win deal for all parties. Do you think it will happen?