Sports analyst Rick Butcher believes LeBron James must leave the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James finished the seventh season of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the 2025 NBA playoffs were not ideal for the king.
After all, the Lakers were unable to pass the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and were eliminated after just five games.
The Lakers’ overwhelming postseason run led to many questions about what 40-year-old LeBron James next:
With James not getting younger, many believe he should retire from the NBA in the offseason. Meanwhile, others think he should leave the LA Lakers.
Sports analyst Ric Bucher falls into the latter category as he believes James’s Lakers tenure should end in the offseason. Where should he go next? Bucher proposed the New York Knicks as a potential destination for the 4X NBA champions.
“He’s going to New York, because New York wants him forever and he’s still in a huge market. They ultimately got the opportunity to have LeBron James,” Butcher said in a segment of the FS1 story.
He added:
Another destination proposed by Bucher was the Dallas Mavericks, just because James is in partnership with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Despite how he arrived with the Lakers, there is no doubt that Luka Doncic will become the team’s cornerstone player in the future.
Butcher believes that as long as James is in LA, the Lakers will never really become Don Sic’s team.
“It’s hard to see him with the Lakers because you’re turning the pages and trying to create this Luka Donsic team.
“As long as LeBron James is wearing the Lakers uniform, that’s not possible. It’s reality. It’s not his fault. It’s just reality,” Butcher concluded.
For now, the Lakers and Donsic are expected to sit down for the summer and sign a potential long-term deal.
James made it clear that none of his abilities would affect Don Sic’s decision. Therefore, it will certainly be interesting to see if there is a future for the King under the bright light of LA.