Rashad McCants Exclusive: Lakers Should ‘Get Rid of LeBron’ This Offseason

When it comes to the future of the Los Angeles Lakers, former NBA veteran and NCAA National Champion Rashad McCants believes it’s in the best interest for Los Angeles to move on from the greatest player of this generation in LeBron James.

In James’ seven seasons with the franchise, the Lakers have advanced past the first round on just two occasions. This year marked the first time the Lakers held home-court advantage (not including the bubble season when games were held in Orlando) in the playoffs in the James era. 

Although the Lakers are a star-driven franchise and had success with the James-Luka Doncic duo, McCants told Basketball Insiders it’s time for Los Angeles to move on.

“100% get rid of LeBron, bring in some young assets,” Gil’s Arena co-host McCants said in an exclusive interview. “He still has enough energy to go out there and warrant some good players for him. You get rid of GM Rob Pelinka, you might have to move Austin Reaves. You really might have to really start over completely, because Luka is uncertain whether he’s even going to re-sign.”

Doncic has one year left on his deal and a player option for the 2026-27 season. McCants mentions how James being in Los Angeles — when factoring in his $52 million deal for the 2025-26 season — could prevent other superstars from coming. 

In other words, there’s a ceiling with James in Los Angeles and that could lead to Doncic declining his player option for the 2026-27 season.

“You don’t want to build around LeBron still being there, holding up other superstars from coming,” says McCants. “The best scenario is to start fresh. If you’re going to start fresh with Luka, the first thing you need to do is get enough pieces defensively that’s going to help.”

While James remains one of the best players in the NBA at his age, McCants argues that the “nostalgia of the storyline” has run its course.

“They have to, because the nostalgia of the storyline is depleted,” says McCants of the Lakers moving on from James. “The Disney storyline of father-son, all the points in the world, all that shit is played out. At this point now where we’re looking at, where do the Lakers go after the circus is over? Now that the circus is over, you either have to start over, or you have to bring in new lions and tigers and bears in. They don’t have a pick, they don’t have assets that can be moved that can get quality players. They’re kind of stuck.”

James holds a player option for the 2025-26 season and could consider his options, which could include signing with another team this offseason. McCants believes the Dallas Mavericks could be a potential landing spot for James. 

Ironically, the Mavericks made a blockbuster trade with the Lakers involving Doncic and Anthony Davis. This scenario would see James team up with Davis and Irving — two players he’s won titles with — as he chases one last ring before he retires. 

“If you think about this, the last time LeBron made an insinuation that he would move on from a team after the playoffs were over, he actually made that move every time,” says McCants. “When he says he’s considering maybe moving, he did that in Cleveland, and then he ended up on the Lakers. He did that in Miami and ended up back in Cleveland. He might end up in Dallas.”

McCants: Next Kevin Durant Team in for ‘Rude Awakening’

Two other star veterans who face uncertain futures are none other than Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. In Durant’s case, it wouldn’t be a surprise (it’s assumed at this point) if he were to leave the Phoenix Suns considering they’ve proven to be pretenders rather than contenders in his two seasons in Phoenix. 

In Antetokounmpo’s case, he has shown his commitment and loyalty to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, they’ve been eliminated in the first round in three consecutive seasons and it appears they’ve reached their ceiling as other Eastern Conference teams have passed them by.

“I would like Giannis to stay, because he’s a fighter and he should fight,” says McCants. “Durant, I think is pretty much long gone. For him, he’s a journeyman now, his career will be remembered as one that just couldn’t really get it done after Steph.”

McCants says he doesn’t know where Durant will land, but says it’ll be the same story where he doesn’t end up leading that franchise to a championship.

“We have no idea where Kevin’s going to go and wherever it is,” says McCants of Durant. “They’re going to be excited, and they’re going to think they’re going to win a championship. Then they’re going to get a rude awakening.”

When the Miami Heat are brought up as a proposed landing spot — they’ve been attached as a potential suitor for both stars in recent years — McCants isn’t a big fan of the scenario.

“It’s so nasty, even thinking about guys like that going to another team again,” says McCants. “That team having to change their whole system for this guy for a year or two, and then he leaves, and we had to change our system. It’s not good business, it ain’t about the game. It’s just not good for my business if I’m trying to build something and I have a guy coming in every two years to mess it up based on his ego and what he wants, and he doesn’t give us a championship. 

“I’d be pissed,” McCants continues to say. “I’d be pissed for all of these teams trying to circulate who’s going to be what and where they’re going to go — it’s not good business. Our landscape in the league needs to change with more consistent competition.”

McCants: Lack of Loyalty Hurting NBA

The 40-year-old McCants spent four seasons in the NBA after the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him 14th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. Since that time, superteams have become the norm with superstars frequently jumping from team to team in an effort to win a championship. Both James and Durant have done it.

McCants isn’t a fan of that philosophy at all. He understands the NBA is a business and there’s little loyalty shown from organizations to players. However, he mentions how there is a lack of “legacy guys” because players jump from team to team.

In other words, you’re not going to see guys spend their entire careers with one team like people saw with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki.

“Just having good business acumen is number one,” says McCants. “You have to understand, we can’t just be jumping teams every four years. It’s not good for the economy, it’s not good for our fan base, it’s not good for your reputation. We have legacy guys that could be true legacy guys and their legacies are f***** up now because they’ve jumped teams four times.”

McCants says players these days want the “easy road” rather than the challenge of having your team on your back to lead — win, lose or draw.

“The challenge of chasing something and having your team on your back and win, lose or draw, I gotta come back and do it again, that energy is not — I don’t think that’s here now,” says McCants. “I think everyone wants the easy road.”