LeBron James is expected back with the Los Angeles Lakers to start the 2025-26 season. But will he end the year some place else?

The most-likely scenario, according to Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, is James stays put and the Lakers see how far they can get next season with a core of James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, plus free-agent additions Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.

Last week, the Los Angeles Clippers were named a potential landing spot for LeBron James. It came as a surprise as James hadn't actually requested a trade and the Clippers hadn't shown any interest in the 21-time All-Star.