LEBRON JAMES TO CLEVELAND? WHY INSIDERS THINK A 2026 HOMECOMING IS FINALLY HAPPENING
Is LeBron James done in L.A.? After a brutal Christmas loss, insiders suggest the 40-year-old superstar is eyeing a 2026 exit.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was watching as LeBron James waited to get back into the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game two of the first round of the NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
Ex-NBA champ Kendrick Perkins thinks the seven-year thing between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers is done.
Perkins figured this out after seeing how James, his old teammate, was acting during Thursday's Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets.
"LeBron James and the Lakers, it's over," Perkins said on ESPN's First Take on Friday. They need to work it out. And the fix is him not being in a Lakers uniform.
Perkins said that Rich Paul's recent words—James' agent said the Lakers aren't going to win a title—show that James isn't happy with the Lakers.
LeBron's been to the NBA Finals like 10-15 times. He knows when a team isn't good enough. Rich Paul, his agent, just said the Lakers aren't title contenders. If Rich Paul is saying it, they both feel that way.
Is LeBron James Not Happy?
James wasn't himself in Thursday's loss to the Rockets. A lot of experts pointed out that he missed some defensive plays, let his Rockets matchups push him around on rebounds, and wasn't fast enough guarding closeouts.
Fair or not, the 40-year-old got a lot of blame for his team getting beaten up inside by the Rockets, who scored 68 points in the paint and got more rebounds than the Lakers, 48-25, with 17 offensive rebounds. Those second chances led to 24 points.
Perkins thinks James looked like he'd given up.
Watching that game last night—and I played with LeBron James and grew up playing with him in AAU—I know this guy. When he's not into it, or if he's feeling some kind of way, it shows in how he acts, Perkins said about James.
And last night, he looked terrible. He wasn't into it. He was whining, sulking, walking around, and complaining.
Are LeBron and Redick Fighting?
Perkins also hinted that Lakers coach JJ Redick didn't look too happy during Thursday's loss, saying that Redick started blasting his players in news conferences after James came back from sciatica.
"He wasn't saying these things earlier in the season when LeBron James was out," Perkins said about Redick.
Some experts thought Redick was talking about James when he called out certain players in his postgame news conference.
It's about making the choice, and often we have guys who don't want to make that choice, Redick said about the Lakers' defensive struggles.
And it's pretty obvious who those guys are.
The coach, in his second year, also told his players that they were going to have a tough meeting on Saturday, where he plans to yell at them.
Saturday's practice—I told the guys—it's going to be tough, Redick said. The meeting is going to be tough. I'm not doing another 53 games like this.
James, who has a $52.6M contract that's about to end, can't be traded unless he says so. And even if the 4-time NBA champ finishes the season, there's a good chance he won't be a Laker next year, according to several insiders.
KENDRICK BOURNE REVEALS THE STRICT DISCIPLINE THAT SPARKED THE PATRIOTS' TURNAROUND
Kendrick Bourne speaks out! Discover why he thinks Mike Vrabel is the right fit and why he’s eyeing a 2026 return to the 49ers.
Kendrick Bourne’s path through the NFL has zigzagged all over – some highs, plenty of lows, and now, another fresh start. He took a shot with the Patriots in 2025 after building his reputation with the 49ers. But honestly, that New England chapter ended before it even got going. Bourne didn’t just slip out the back door. He left with a lot to say about what he saw brewing in New England as Mike Vrabel took charge.
Once Vrabel arrived, you didn’t need to listen for rumours about a culture shift; it was obvious. Bourne noticed right away. He’s already got his eyes set on home, back with the 49ers, but even from a distance, he could see the Patriots were heading somewhere new long before their record showed it.
Talking about his exit from New England, Bourne didn’t sugarcoat anything. Losing the job itself wasn’t the hardest part. What stung was watching Vrabel put his stamp on the team, laying down the kind of structure and discipline Bourne knew would eventually pay off. He was blunt; things just felt different under Vrabel compared to before.
He put it like this: “After going through OTAs and camp with Vrabes, you just knew. Nothing against Mayo, but he just wasn’t ready. With Vrabes, the structure was totally different in how we studied, how we met, and just the whole vibe. Honestly, I was sad about it.”
This wasn’t just a guy being bitter. Bourne respected what was happening in New England and genuinely wished he could have been part of it, especially with a Super Bowl push on the horizon. He even admitted he’d wanted to be in that locker room when the Patriots finally made it back to the big stage.
Now he’s back with the 49ers, hoping to stick around. At 30, Bourne wants a new contract in San Francisco. He had a solid 2025, racked up 551 yards, picked up a contract bonus, and gave the offence a spark. The 49ers needed reliable hands, and Bourne delivered. He’s clear: he wants to stay, but only if the deal makes sense for him.
So now, the offseason gets interesting. Bourne knows where he fits best, but he’s still keeping an eye on what’s building in New England. That mix of looking back and chasing what’s next makes this part of his career one to pay attention to.
MRI SCARE: STEVE KERR ADMITS STEPH CURRY’S "NEBULOUS" KNEE MAY REQUIRE SECOND IMAGING
Warriors crisis! Discover why Steph Curry may need another MRI and how Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear shifts GSW to the play-in.
The Warriors have been scrambling since Jimmy Butler went down with that ACL tear. He’s done for the year, and now Stephen Curry has to carry the offence on his own.
Right after the All-Star break, the Warriors are sitting in eighth place out West. That’s already shaky, and now Curry’s dealing with a knee injury too. The team calls it runner's knee; basically, he just needs time to heal. But then Steve Kerr gave an update that didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Turns out, Curry might need another MRI. He tried to push through a full workout, but his knee just wasn’t right. Now, they’re waiting on imaging to figure out how long he’ll actually be out.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis still hasn’t suited up for Golden State. If Curry misses significant time, everyone else needs to step up in a big way. The Warriors already have one of the most average offences in the league, 15th at the break. No curry, and things get ugly fast. He’s already missed 16 games this season, and the team went 6-10 without him.
Losing Butler already knocked the Warriors out of serious contention. They’re pretty much locked into the play-in. Unless Curry suddenly goes supernova, it’s hard to see them catching the Thunder or making any real noise out West.
So, what’s next? The front office tried to swing big at the deadline, going after Giannis Antetokounmpo, though who knows if the Bucks ever really considered it. Giannis stayed put, but you can bet the Warriors will chase him again this summer.
If that doesn’t work, they’ll turn to other stars. They know the championship window is closing with Curry still on the roster. He’s still elite, but time’s ticking.
LeBron James even comes up as a possibility. If he declines his player option and hits free agency, maybe he’d team up with Curry for one last run at a ring.
Most likely, though, Golden State will look at trades instead of free agents to try to reload. Curry’s health isn’t what it used to be, and the Warriors know they have to make the most of whatever prime he’s got left.