LeBron James and Anthony Davis posted the same cryptic message on Instagram

LeBron James and Anthony Davis sure seemed to love playing together. The duo won an NBA championship inside the bubble for the Los Angeles Lakers in their first season together back in 2020 — sorry Daryl Morey, but that title counts. The ensuing 4.5 years weren’t as glamorous for the partnership, with 2023’s Western Conference Finals run marking the lone season LA advanced past the first round of the playoffs.

James and Davis’ pairing ended in shocking fashion in Feb. when the Lakers somehow landed Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in one of the most shocking trades in the modern history of American sports. The Lakers would go on to another first-round exit with Doncic, and ever since, James has been acting passive-aggressive towards the franchise.

James opted into his $52 million player option over the summer, then had his agency issue a statement that started with “LeBron wants to compete for a championship. He knows the Lakers are building for the future.” There has been speculation that James could push his way out of Los Angeles ever since, but the mechanics of trading him anywhere are nearly impossible under the CBA. More likely, James could be entering his final year with the Lakers before moving on to a new franchise in free agency next summer.

The Mavs have been a popular destination for James if he does leave, largely because of his relationship with Davis and co-star Kyrie Irving. On Tuesday, both James and Davis posted the same message to their Instagram story, and it has the internet running wild with conspiracy theories.

That’s a post from popular social media self-help guru Jay Shetty that was reposted by LeBron and AD. Is LeBron hinting that he needs to say goodbye to LA to become the best version of himself? If so, would the best version of himself be in Dallas with AD, Kyrie, and Cooper Flagg?

As a long-time observer of LeBron’s passive-aggressive social media posts, there’s usually fire eventually if there’s enough smoke. I would expect LeBron James to play in the 2026-27 season one year from now, and I’d be surprised if he’s on the Lakers.

Yes, the Lakers drafted his son and gave him a long-term home to help get his entertainment company off the ground, but as he enters the final seasons of his NBA career, it would feel weird to have his farewell tour in Los Angeles while Luka is at his peak. Cleveland makes the most sense for a farewell season, but playing with two of his best sidekicks ever in Kyrie and AD in Dallas would also be a nice touch.

LeBron James will be a Laker for the 25-26 season. His basketball future beyond that remains a big question.