Saquon Barkley Says There’s Only One Place LeBron James Should Finish His Career

The world is waiting for LeBron James to decide where he will play his historic 24th NBA season. Right now, several teams are vying for his attention, including the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and, notably, Philadelphia 76ers. It’s still unclear where the 4x NBA champion will land; however, Philly legend Saquon Barkley is pleading with him to come to the City of Brotherly Love.

Barkley, a Super Bowl champion and Philadelphia Eagles icon, spoke with reporters on Thursday, July 9, and tried his hardest to sell the city to James.

“If you want to go out with a bang, I feel like a great spot would be in Philly and bring a championship to Philadelphia,” he said. “You’ll be remembered forever.”

According to Barkley, Philly is the place for top athletes, not only because of the environment, but because of the fans.

“They’re crazy, but in a different way,” he said. “When you’re on the Giants’ side, oh these motherf—ers are insane. On this side, you see they just love it.”

Barkley Is A Philadelphia Eagles Superstar

It makes sense why Barkley, a Penn State alum, would want another sports giant in the city. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 after 6 years with the New York Giants. Since arriving in Philly, the 29-year-old has been the talk of the town, recording a little over 3,000 rushing yards in his first two seasons with the team and scoring 20 touchdowns.

Barkley signed a three-year $37.75 million contract with the team, according to the NFL. The league’s Offensive Player of the Year then opened up about his March 2024 trade on X, formerly Twitter.

“Thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support over the past 6 years… forever grateful! Excited for the next chapter.”

It appears his love for the organization and the city has only grown, as he shared a snap on his Instagram in March 2025. “Overflow! Grateful for the Eagles Organization, grateful for my team, grateful for the amazing fans in Philly. Fly, Eagles Fly,” he captioned the post.

LeBron James Said Goodbye To The Los Angeles Lakers

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As for James, the 41-year-old NBA sensation announced his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in late June 2026 after eight years with the organization.

The team’s governor, Jeanie Buss, opened up about the stunning move, saying, “LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold.”

Buss continued, “We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.

James responded by thanking the team for welcoming him, then saying he hoped he had made the people of Los Angeles proud.

During his stint with the team, the Lakers made the NBA playoffs six times and ultimately won the championship title during the 2019-20 season.

Sources Say LeBron James Wants To Play Basketball In A ‘Competitive’ Environment

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According to a previous report from The Blast, sources close to the NBA player said James still believes he has much left in the tank to offer a team that wants him.

“What we do know is that LeBron James wants to be in a competitive, competing environment,” NBA insider Shams Charania said. “He wants to play meaningful basketball, I’m told. But as far as a timeline, there is no timetable. LeBron James does not appear to be in a rush.”

Bill Simmons Says James Is Headed Back To Where It All Began … The Cleveland Cavaliers

“And now it’s pretty clear they (Golden State) were being used as leverage as LeBron goes back to Cleveland… the Cleveland thing is done,” – Bill Simmons on LeBron’s free agency sweepstakes 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/Z9OBX8ADUB

Bill Simmons, a sports podcaster and writer, commented on James’ free agency during a recent episode of his “Bill Simmons” podcast. According to him, James’ return to Cleveland is a “done” deal. He added that James was allegedly using the Golden State Warriors as leverage in negotiations. “The Cleveland thing is done,” he reiterated. “He’s going to Cleveland.”