Every few years, LeBron James seems to find himself in the middle of rumors and reporting surrounding what’s next in his NBA career.
In fact, we’re just coming off the 15th anniversary of the most infamous time that occurred.
Recently, it’s been mostly about when he’ll eventually retire. These days, however, the incessant drumbeat around whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers will trade him before the start of the 2025 NBA season is reaching a fever pitch.
James did nothing to squash those rumors over the weekend, talking around a question about where he’ll play next season.
“I ain’t got nothing to talk about,” he said when asked if he wanted to address the situation. James has also fanned the flames recently with cryptic social media posts.
In the meantime, Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley was recently asked about LeBron’s place within the Lakers at the moment. He told Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz that the arrival of Luka Dončić has worked well on the court but has also displaced James as the team’s top dog.
“It’s easy for LeBron because LeBron can play without the ball,” Barkley told Fitz. “When you’re a great player and they bring other great players, you have to learn to play without the ball. Luka has a big advantage because Luka has to play with the ball. LeBron is such a great player. He can play without the ball.”
The Lakers are now ‘Luka’s team moving forward’ 👀@jasonfitz and Charles Barkley discuss how L.A. should handle the transition of one generational superstar to another. pic.twitter.com/IW3rqmnD1m
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 12, 2025
Fitz then asked Barkley how much James should be part of the Lakers’ plan moving forward. He confirmed his thoughts that Doncic, not LeBron, is the team’s focus now, but Los Angeles has much bigger problems to worry about.
“[LeBron’s] on the downside of his career. It’s Luka’s team going forward,” said Barkley. “But hey, they got bigger problems than those guys. They got to worry about the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers is going to have a good team, but everything in the West starts with OKC, the Houston Rockets, and the Denver Nuggets.”
Barkley certainly knows a thing or two about that situation. After he was the big dog for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns, Sir Charles finished his playing career with the Rockets, playing second (or third) fiddle to Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen.
Time comes for us all. The question is, how will LeBron James react to it now that it’s here?
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.