Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

NBA Insider Drops Major Prediction on LeBron James' Future

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 6:30 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are under a lot of pressure to win now while LeBron James is still on the roster. He has played in the NBA for quite a while, and his career is winding down.

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There have also been rumors swirling around all summer long that the four-time league MVP wants to leave the Lakers in a trade, although Rich Paul has denied those rumors.

As questions about James' future continue to swirl, one NBA insider gave a prediction about what he believes James will do next season.

NBA insider believes that Lakers forward LeBron James will play next season

While speaking on ESPN's "NBA Today," NBA insider Bobby Marks believes that James will play next season.

Bobby Marks: "I'm expecting Lebron, Steph and KD to be in the top 10 a year from now...I'm expecting Bron to play next year" pic.twitter.com/prVoEQMfw1
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 25, 2025

"Yes, I am," Marks said. "I am expecting him to play next year. Now, where is he going to play? We don't know that yet."

Marks left the possibility open that James might decide to opt out of his contract and play for a team that isn't the Lakers next season, although he has not indicated he would want to leave LA.

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James clearly isn't very happy that the Lakers decided to start centering decisions around Luka Doncic instead of him, which is not something that has ever really happened on a team he's been on.

The Lakers want to keep James in Los Angeles for the rest of his career, no matter how long that ends up being. They don't want to let one of the best players in NBA history just walk away.

LeBron James is still good enough to play for the Lakers for a while

James made second-team All-NBA last year, indicating that he is still one of the best players in the league. The Lakers need to have him on their roster if they want to have a chance of winning it all.

Doncic and James figured out how to play together at the end of last season. Now that he's had an entire offseason in Los Angeles, his chemistry with the rest of the team should be even better.

Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. He shot 51.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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