LeBron James Nearing Decision On Next Team?

Appearing on NBA Today on Monday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said free agent forward LeBron James is inching closer to choosing his next team. Charania reiterated that the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, Sixers and Timberwolves have been LeBron’s “leading suitors.”

“It’s decision time for LeBron James, because all of the information, for the most part, is in,” Charania said. “GMs, presidents, owners, they’ve all been heard from and they’re continuing to have conversations with agent Rich Paul. … Players have also reached out to LeBron James to recruit him.”

Charania also said James’ choice won’t be “financially-driven,” as previously reported.

“LeBron James has made it clear privately that he wants to go somewhere where he can compete for a championship,” Charania said. “Somewhere where he feels like he finds that happiness from a team environment and culture that he feels he can uplift.”

Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter video link) essentially confirmed Charania’s report, though he added the Nuggets to the list of teams still in the mix for the league’s all-time leading scorer.

“I’ve talked to LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul and he said [LeBron] has all the information needed. So now it’s all up to LeBron James to make a decision,” Haynes reported. 

Rival teams reportedly view Cleveland, the team that selected James first overall in 2003, as the frontrunner to sign the Akron native.

Here’s more on LeBron:

• ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who’s very plugged-in with the Warriors, said on SportsCenter that Golden State’s brass has been fairly pessimistic about its chances of signing James (Twitter video link). Still, he noted that Draymond Green and Stephen Curry have been attempting to lure the 22-time All-Star to the Bay Area. “Not many people in this process can reach LeBron James directly, but the Warriors players can,” said Slater.
• Slater added that the Warriors‘ decision to hire Frank Vogel as its top assistant coach had little — if anything — to do with the four-time Finals MVP. James and Vogel won a championship together with the Lakers in 2020. “They wanted somebody next to Steve Kerr on the bench who has head coaching experience — obviously Vogel has that,” Slater said. “And also they needed somebody to lead the defense. Vogel, historically, has been a great defensive coach. … And maybe that helps a little bit in the LeBron pitch, but generally they just want Frank Vogel next to Steve Kerr.”
• According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Green’s pitch to LeBron may have given the Warriors a better shot at landing the 41-year-old, but executives at Summer League still widely consider the Cavs to be in the pole position. League personnel are skeptical that James will sign with the Wolves or Nuggets,” Siegel adds.