Miami Heat Gaining Serious Momentum In LeBron James Sweepstakes

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jul 17, 2026 1:40 PM ET

A final decision hasn't been made just yet, but it sounds like the Miami Heat are gaining momentum in the LeBron James sweepstakes.

Earlier this week, ESPN insider Shams Charania listed Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia as the top landing spots for James. Then on Friday morning, Brian Windhorst said the Heat are starting to make "more sense" for the four-time NBA champion. His remarks are interesting to say the least because he's been pushing the James to the Cavaliers narrative for the last two weeks.

"You know that I'm from Cleveland, you know my ties there. The more I've looked at this and the more I've had conversations, the more Miami makes sense to me [for LeBron]," Windhorst said. "And now when I hear him thinking about a couple of years, it makes even more sense to me."

While at Fanatics Fest this Friday afternoon, Stephen A. Smith also linked James to Miami.

"From a basketball standpoint, Giannis, Adebayo, Bobby Portis, your front line is stacked… with LeBron having the ball in his hands," Smith said. "From a basketball standpoint it’s the best situation for him. If lifestyle is what’s important, that damn sure is a better situation for him."

The Heat would love to get LeBron.

James had a great run with the Heat from 2010-2014, averaging 26.9 points and 6.7 assists per game. Not only did he earn MVP honors during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, he led Miami to back-to-back titles.

As you'd imagine, the Heat would love to reunite with James for what could be his farewell tour.

"If there was a scenario for that to happen, I'd be very, very excited," Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo told ESPN. "He's one of the best players to ever play this game, if not the best. [I'd] be able to learn so much from him. Obviously, brings such a championship experience to the team right from day one. I think he's still one of the best players in the [game today], if not top 25 [at 41 years old]. You don't see signs of him slowing down at all. You saw in the playoffs how effective and good he was for the Lakers."

We'll see if the Heat ultimately win the LeBron sweepstakes a second time.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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