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NBA insider rips LeBron James, says Lakers were done with him when they acquired Luka Doncic Its been nearly a week since LeBron James informed the Lakers he wasnt going to play for them next season, but apparently, the Lakers were prepared for it.
According to NBA insider Ri..
According to NBA insider Ric Bucher, on his show On The Ball With Ric Bucher, the Lakers have been preparing for a life without James since they acquired Luka Doncic in 2025.
I had to smile when it was reported that LeBron informed the Lakers that he didnt intend to play for the Lakers next year.
As if the Lakers werent intending for that to be the case, Bucher said on his show.But kudos to the Lakers for allowing LeBron to present it that way and preserve some dignity on the way out.
Ric Bucher says the Lakers had already planned to get rid of Lebron since the Luka trade and finds it funny that Lebron tried to make it seem like he was the one that decided he was leaving and calls BS on Rich Paul saying all these teams are interested in LebronBucher went on to call out James and his agent, Rich Paul, for saying that every NBA team was interested in acquiring James by saying, If teams were interested, he wouldnt have to reach out to them.
LeBron James recently left the Lakers, but an NBA insider says the Lakers knew they were done with him when they traded for Luka Doncic.
At 41 years old, James is coming off a season in which he played in 60 regular-season games, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists.
James is still playing at a high level, but his numbers were below his career average of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.Its a sign that LeBron and Rich are struggling with the new reality, which is LeBron simply isnt valued the way he once was.
He does not have the leverage he once did, Bucher said.Which is not an indictment, no one is going to invest in a player that is turning 42 years old next season and comes with the outsized attention and servicing that LeBron does.
In 2025, the Lakers shocked the world when they announced they were trading Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Doncic in a three-team deal that included the Jazz.Doncic was just removed from helping the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals the season before and was in the middle of having a great year, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game.
While James next destination is unknown, it wont be with the Lakers because the team is focusing on building around Doncic.