LeBron James, Lakers ready for split?

The Los Angeles Lakers caught a massive break with the Luka Doncic trade.

Almost accidentally, they stumbled upon someone who could carry LeBron James' torch and keep the team competitive for years to come.

That's why, now that James is expected to become a free agent at the end of the season, the 23-year veteran will take his talents somewhere else again.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, James is looking forward to leaving the Lakers. Likewise, the organization is also ready to bid him farewell.

LeBron James won't play for the Lakers next season 

“Definitively, the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James and I think LeBron James is ready to move on from the Lakers as well,” Fischer said. ”That’s kind of the foregone sentiment in Los Angeles right now about what’s to come this summer.”

The Feb. 5 trade deadline looms large. Still, a trade seems highly unlikely.

James will most likely finish the season with the Purple & Gold before testing the free agent market next offseason.

ESPN insider Dave McMenamin reported that James didn't want to get a farewell tour, but it's hard to imagine him playing for much longer after the 2026-27 season.

That, of course, is not because he can't do it at a high level. But after 24 years in the league and with countless records to his name, there's not much left to prove at this point in his career.

Whatever the case, multiple teams will certainly engage in a bidding war to host James in the final passage of his career.