Kendrick Perkins Drops Major Hint About Lakers' LeBron James' Future

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The long partnership between superstar LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers franchise may finally come to an end once his contract with the team expires after the 2025-26 NBA season.

All signs point to James leaving the team in NBA free agency, with a couple of teams around the league potentially interested in signing him, or deciding that his record-setting 23rd season will be his last in the league.

Kendrick Perkins Claims Cavs Stars Will Recruit LeBron James

According to ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, who once played alongside James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will recruit the four-time NBA champion in free agency this summer to get him to finish his career where it all began, via The Road Trippin Show.

“My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden already are starting the push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason," Perkins said. "I’m just telling you, my sources told me as soon as James Harden got on the phone or got around the team, the initial was we’re about to make this run, go all out, but we want LeBron James.”

Warriors & Cavs Interested in James in Free Agency

Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right) talk before the game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

At this point, no one seems to know exactly what James wants to do once his time with the Lakers is over. The Golden State Warriors have been rumored to be interested in signing him in free agency to pair him with Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo if they can trade for the two-time NBA MVP, which will likely be a challenge in the offseason.

The Cavs have also been linked to another reunion with James, marking a third stint with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003, and that speculation started well before the team recently traded for Harden ahead of the NBA trade deadline last week.

Obviously, the Warriors will be an intriguing option for James if the team acquires Antetokounmpo. Still, Golden State will have a lot of competition for the Milwaukee Bucks' superstar, as teams, including the Lakers, will be lining up to land him in a blockbuster trade.

Cleveland, however, would be a storybook ending for James, and the team will have a chance to be a title contender during the 2026-27 NBA season, which will surely appeal to the future Hall of Famer.

In the meantime, James will try to get the most out of what looks like his last run with the Lakers while playing alongside fellow stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in Los Angeles.