Recently, Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin O 'Connor talked about the deadlock between the Lakers and James on his personal blog show.

O 'Connor said: "All the reports say that the Lakers are still trying to keep their cap space for the future. I think they want LeBron James to apply for a deal so they can have the emptied payroll next time. Because LeBron James, who is in his 40s, has more than 50 million annual salary and maybe he has only one year left in his contract, it's hard for them to build the team the way they want. I think the Lakers want LeBron to leave them. There is some speculation in the league management circle that LeBron is seeking a buyout contract. I can't imagine why the Lakers agreed to buy out him. I can't see a reason to do this, I think it's stupid to do it. You have to exchange LeBron for something, instead of saying, 'Hey, you want to leave? After you execute a $50 million contract, we'll buy out you.' I think that's stupid."