LeBron leaving Lakers (breaking news during recording)
A breaking news alert during the conversation reported LeBron James is leaving the Lakers but will continue playing next season.
Snapshot · The Bulwark Podcast
David French: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Should've Been 9-0
Explore episode
Jun 30, 2026
Where this was said
NBA Offseason: Ja Morant's Trade, LeBron's Departure, and Wimby's Warning
At 1:07:10 · chapter starts 1:06:15
Miller mentions that Memphis had to take Jeremy Grant's bad contracts just to move Ja Morant to Portland — a fitting coda for an arc that began with so much promise. [1] — David French "Ja Morant was once the future of the NBA. Now Memphis had to take Jeremy Grant's bad contracts just to move him to Portland. David French u…" 1:07:10 Breaking news during the recording adds fuel: a Shams alert reports LeBron is leaving the Lakers but will continue playing, with the Warriors and Spurs emerging as likely destinations. French reflects on a league that produced one of the worst regular seasons in memory — a third of the league tanking for draft picks — followed by one of the best playoffs of his lifetime, and now a chaotic offseason. His main point about Morant is melancholy rather than judgmental: injuries plus immaturity led to the shine falling off fast, and someone who was 22 and the world's oyster threw it away with gun incidents, Instagram videos, quitting on teammates, and throwing his coach under the bus. Memphis still loves him. French still wants the best for him. But he uses it as a teachable moment for Wembanyama, who showed some concerning signs in the Finals — French recalls Magic Johnson losing a Finals to the Celtics and coming back from it, so Wimby has time. The key is whether he keeps making the right choices.
Ja Morant to Portland: A Cautionary Tale for Wembanyama
Ja Morant was once the future of the NBA. Now Memphis had to take Jeremy Grant's bad contracts just to move him to Portland. David French uses Morant's fall — gun incidents, Instagram videos, quitting on teammates — as a warning to Wembanyama: the window between 'world is your oyster' and 'cautionary tale' is shorter than it looks.
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