Charles Barkley convinced of 1 thing about LeBron James’ future

When Charles Barkley talks, people usually listen, often because he’s right. On a recent episode of Inside the NBA, Sir Charles dropped a bomb regarding the future of LeBron James and the Lakers that has the basketball world buzzing.

“There’s one thing I’m sure of—this is his last year with the Lakers,” Barkley stated firmly. “He’s not going to play with the Lakers next year. I’ve always said I’d like to see him finish in Cleveland.”

Charles Barkley on LeBron James: "There's one thing I'm sure of- this is his last year with the Lakers. He's not going to play with the Lakers next year. I've always said I'd like to see him finish in Cleveland. I'm not opposed to him getting traded to Cleveland this year." #NBA https://t.co/otoI5KomoS pic.twitter.com/bTgFqk3Cng

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 28, 2026

Barkley’s comments come at a time when the Los Angeles Lakers are clearly shifting their focus toward Luka Doncic, leaving the 41-year-old James in a peculiar position. On Wednesday night, that “Cleveland finish” felt closer than ever as the Lakers traveled to face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The homecoming was emotional from the jump. During a first-quarter timeout, the Cavaliers played a tribute video of James’ legendary 25-straight points against the Detroit Pistons in 2007. LeBron was moved to tears, wiping his eyes with a towel as the “Land” gave him a massive standing ovation.

However, the sentiment didn’t translate to the box score. In what was arguably his toughest game ever as a visitor in Cleveland, James struggled to find his rhythm. He finished with just 11 points, the first time in 13 trips back he failed to hit the 20-point mark. He shot a cold 3-of-10 from the field and missed all three of his long-range attempts in 27 minutes of play.

While Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 29 points despite an early ankle scare, the Cavaliers were simply too much. Donovan Mitchell sparked a massive third-quarter run, finishing with 25 points, while Jaylon Tyson chipped in 20 to lead Cleveland to a dominant 129-99 blowout victory.

The 30-point romp was the worst loss LeBron has ever suffered in his old home. With the Lakers falling to 3-2 on their road trip and Barkley practically packing LeBron’s bags for him, the question isn’t just about how much the “King” has left in the tank—it’s about which jersey he’ll be wearing when he finally decides to empty it.

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