One week into NBA free agency, and the biggest name remains without a team. Yes, LeBron James is taking his time as he changes franchises for the fourth time in his illustrious NBA career. We know the James is leaving the Lakers after eight seasons in L.A. And we know, from reporting and his agent Rich Paul’s podcasting, that at least six teams are seriously in the mix: the Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, 76ers, Nuggets and Timberwolves.
When will James make a decision? That remains to be seen. But with most other offseason business already in the books and with rumors flying and Paul speaking publicly, we seemingly know a lot more on the LeBron situation than we did a week ago. So with all that in mind, our NBA writers are making their best guesses about where James will play next season. Here are our LeBron landing spot predictions as of July 7.
LeBron James landing spot predictions: July 7
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Botkin: I’ll stick with my original prediction. It’s obviously not as good a bet as it seemed when Draymond Green first declined his player option, and it looked like all the salary stars were lining up over the Bay, but I still think the lure of playing alongside Stephen Curry is pretty appealing. If LeBron and Curry were in their primes, he wouldn’t want the backlash of forming another superteam. But at this stage, the Warriors would largely be considered too old to realistically compete even if they got LeBron — which would make it all the cooler to win there. And call me foolish, but I think the Warriors could compete with anyone with LeBron. They would have to manage their way to a healthy playoff roster, but that’s true of every team these days. I think if the Warriors had found a way to trade for Anthony Davis, LeBron would already be signed. Maybe they still will.
Gonzalez: We’ve been on LeBron watch for weeks (Months? Years? A lifetime?) now, and I’ve been pretty consistent about wanting him to land in Golden State. I still want that. The idea of James teaming up with Steph Curry is tantalizing, but with every passing day that scenario seems less likely. While it would make for unmatched entertainment, there are more attractive on-court situations where LeBron would have a better opportunity to compete for one final championship. What we need here is to meld his farewell tour narrative with a legitimate shot to secure another ring. Maybe it’s boring or a little too obvious, but going back to Cleveland one last time would check a lot of important boxes for James as the sunset of his career draws closer.
Maloney: I’ll join the chorus and pick the Cavaliers. Brian Windhorst on Monday was asked about the possibility that James ends up in Philadelphia after the 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown. “I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like, ‘what do you think?’ ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland.’ Everybody I talked to is like ‘we’re afraid it’s Cleveland.'” That’s no guarantee, but it is noteworthy from someone who has spent the last two decades documenting James’ career. Especially considering James has been spending time in Cleveland lately. Plus, it’s just hard to imagine James ending his career with a random team like the Sixers or the Nuggets.
Quinn: I’m going to say Cavaliers because I have no compelling reason not to, but for what this is worth, I’m not sure that anyone really knows anything on the LeBron front right now. It seems as though he’s taking his time and letting teams get their ducks in a row before making an informed decision. If someone makes a big move (cough cough Anthony Davis), maybe that’s the tell. Otherwise, Cleveland almost has to be in the lead given the sentimental ties here, but only James knows what he’s actually prioritizing, and if it’s the basketball situation, well, he can do better. So Cleveland is in the lead, but it feels like any of the six teams in play here have a realistic chance.
Salerno: In our first installment of this series, I predicted LeBron would return to the Lakers. Then, I predicted he would join Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and the Golden State Warriors. So, by picking LeBron to join the Cavs, third time is the charm. But I’ll take this one a step further. Not only will LeBron join the Cavaliers, but Bronny James (his son) will also join the roster. It would be a perfect and fitting end to LeBron’s career to play where it all started. And for his son, a chance to play with his father in the place he was born would be poetic. Who doesn’t love a good story?
