On Tuesday, LeBron James made his first big decision of the offseason. The league’s all-time leading scorer informed the Lakers that he would not be returning to Los Angeles for the 2026-27 season.
Now, the big question is where James will land.
While there is plenty of speculation on where the 41-year-old will play next season, Kendrick Perkins had some choice words for James’ agent, Rich Paul.
Kendrick Perkins Rips LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul
With all of the action surrounding James as free agency opens, former teammate and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins went on a hilarious rant over how Paul has kept him in the dark.
“Rich Paul, little turtle head, snotty nose [expletive] called me all throughout the season. Every time I’m on TV, I get a text message from him,” Perkins said.
Kendrick Perkins:
“Rich Paul, little turtle head snotty nose ass called me all throughout the season every time I’m on TV I get a text message from him. I’ve been calling him for 2 days now and he been ignoring me. We got a problem”
👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/yfzlaZN1Ub
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 30, 2026
“I’ve been calling him for two days now and he been ignoring me. We got a problem.”
Perkins has a history of questioning Paul, so this is nothing new.
Meanwhile, as James informed the Lakers he would be moving on, speculation quickly turned to the Golden State Warriors.
After Draymond Green declined his player option worth $27.7 million earlier this week, the Warriors’ plan to try to acquire both James and his former Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, came to the forefront.
It doesn’t look like the Wizards want to deal Davis, and the Warriors have reportedly told Jimmy Butler they aren’t trading him, so AD appears to be staying put for now.
James could still decide to join the Warriors and play with Curry, Green, and Butler, who is coming off a torn ACL.
SEE ALSO: LeBron James Rumors: NBA Legend’s Instructions to Rich Paul Change Everything About His Free Agency
The Warriors seem to be James’ top option, and a return to Cleveland hasn’t been ruled out.
James reportedly wants to continue playing “meaningful, competitive basketball” and has given Paul specific instructions.
According to ESPN: “James has instructed agent Rich Paul to talk to everyone around the league who is interested and come back to him with what the options are so he can make his decision, the source said.”
“While James is committed to returning for a 24th season, he has not made any decision as to whether that will be his final season in the NBA, the source said.”
So not only is James not returning, he may even play another season beyond this. Only time will tell where the league’s leading scorer decides to move after a memorable eight year stint at Los Angeles.
