When the 2026 offseason arrives, the future of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be at hand. The 23-year veteran has not yet decided how long he wants to continue playing, and his current contract with the Lakers will expire. Obviously, James could always re-sign with the Lakers should he want to continue his career. But count former Laker Byron Scott as someone who does not believe that should be the case.
During a recent appearance on the Los Angeles radio station Power 106, Scott spoke about why he thinks the Lakers’ future after this season should not include LeBron James.
“I just thought it was laughable, coming from one of the greatest players to ever play the game, that it was harder to play now than it was then,” Scott said. “I’m a fan, but I don’t mince words. I think this should be his last year here. . .you don’t got to go home, but you got to get the hell up out of here.”
Judging by Scott’s comments, it looks as if his reasoning is based more on emotion rather than James’ talent and fit with the current Lakers team. The debate between the strength of eras among players and fans doesn’t seem like it will end anytime soon.
What isn’t up for debate is how the Lakers’ acquisition of James helped bring the franchise out of irrelevancy following the retirement of Kobe Bryant. After signing as a free agent with the Lakers in the 2018 offseason, James led the organization to their first championship in a decade and has helped keep the Lakers a relevant playoff contender in subsequent years.
This season, James has appeared in 40 games, at a little over 33 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.1 steals with splits of 49.8 percent shooting from the field, 29.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line, and 74.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
