NBA icon and all-time leading scorer LeBron James is deliberating where he will play basketball next season. Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA world waits.
James, who in late June informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would be moving on from the franchise, is an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign wherever and whenever he pleases.
At this stage, James has all the information he needs from teams and is weighing his options, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA Today Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly comment on the specifics of James’ thinking. As a result, a decision could be imminent.
LeBron James (23) walks off the court following a Los Angeles Lakers game against the Golden State Warriors on April 9.
James, 41, is a player who has unparalleled stature in the NBA. As such, he’s calculated and deliberate about his decision making and is able to decide his future on his own terms. James has earned that right, and he’s being intentional about his decision.
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James, a 22-time All-Star and four-time champion, has played a record 23 seasons in the NBA and wants to compete for another championship.
LeBron James landing spots
James has been linked to a handful of teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
On one hand, given James’ tenure and stature in the league, the Cavaliers and Heat would appear to make the most sense; James has played for both before and has helped deliver championships to each franchise.
Cleveland selected James first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, and he’s from Akron, Ohio. In fact, if James were to join the Cavs, he would be playing in his third different stint with the team.
James willed Cleveland to its first championship in franchise history at the 2016 NBA Finals, when the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 series deficit to win. James would be joining a Cavs team that got swept in the Eastern Conference finals but features star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
In Miami, James played arguably the best basketball of his career, winning Most Valuable Player in two of his four seasons there. The Heat also won two Finals, and the system, coaching staff and front office are mostly the same from when James played there, from 2010-14. The Heat just recently acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he and James would make an intriguing pair of fastbreak threats alongside Heat captain Bam Adebayo.
And while it may appear to be an odd fit for James to join a new team at this stage of his career, each of Philadelphia, Golden State and Minnesota present interesting options.
The Sixers are poised to compete in the East after they acquired Jaylen Brown. The Warriors feature Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, two of James’ long-time friends. And the Timberwolves have one of the NBA’s most dynamic young players in Anthony Edwards.
LeBron James stats
Although he turned 41 years old in December, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games this season. James owns a number of all-time records, including points (43,440), games (1,622), postseason points (8,521) and postseason games (302).
