"You got to get the hell up out of here" - Byron Scott tells LeBron to leave the Lakers this summer
LeBron James will be an unrestricted free agent after the current NBA season. If he decides to play for a 24th NBA season, which is likely given how good Bron still is despite being the oldest player in the league, it will be interesting where it will be.
The Los Angeles Lakers have stated that they would love for LeBron to finish his career in L.A., but will respect his decision if he chooses to play elsewhere. Last week, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that the Lake Show is ready to welcome James back next season.
However, former Showtime Lakers guard Byron Scott had strong words for LeBron during his recent appearance on "Power 106 Los Angeles."
"I'm a fan, but I don't mince words either," said Scott. "I think this should be his last year here, just here. You don't have togo home, but you got to get the hell up out of here."
Another first-round exit incoming?
LeBron has been with the Lakers since 2018, when he left the Cavs for a second time to continue his career with the NBA's most popular team. After injuries prevented them from making the playoffs in his first year there, the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis , and he helped LBJ win the 2020 NBA championship, the Lakers' 17th trophy overall. However, since he was already 34 when he joined the Lakers, it has been downhill from there.
The closest the Lakers have come to the Larry O'Brien Trophy since then was in 2023, when they made an unexpected run to the Western Conference Finals, where the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets , swept them. In each of the last two seasons, the Purple & Gold's season has ended in the first round of the playoffs. And with how things are looking right now, it seems like they are headed for another early exit, that is, if they make the postseason.
At 34-24, they have fallen to 6th in the Western Conference standings, with the No. 7 Phoenix Suns just one game behind. With 24 games left to play, it's unlikely that they will fall out of the play-in spot with the No.10 L.A. Clippers seven games back. However, with their recent form, the Lakers are shaky enough to be booted out of the play-in and too flawed to make it past the first round if they are in that 6 to 8 spot.
The Lakers will never be Luka 's team until LeBron leaves
Make no mistake, at age 41, James is still elite. He is averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game this season. However, the team is no longer his. It belongs to Doncic now, and as Colin Cowherd put it, the Don cannot lead the Lakers while Bron is still there .
"Rob Pelinka, what is your identity?" he began . "Pick a timeline. The Lakers are having an identity crisis… LeBron's never gonna be a role player. He's always going to take oxygen out of the room on the offense. The prince has no power when the king is still on the throne. LeBron's the king, and always will be, as long as he's a Laker, and Luka's the prince. Can you imagine a LeBron retirement tour, how distracting that would be?"
Many are saying that LeBron might return to Cleveland again this summer. Most say that would be James' best move because that's where he'll get a proper send-off and perhaps a better last crack at a 5th NBA title. Also, LBJ is loved there like a prodigal son, unlike in L.A., where he was never accepted as one of their own.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
