LeBron James is in no hurry to make his free agency decision. Rich Paul, James’ agent, said in a podcast on Monday that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is “not going to be rushed” into a signing with a new team for his 24th season.
But the NBA — especially the franchises vying for James’ services — is stuck in a holding pattern. The Philadelphia 76ers are widely considered one of the favorites to land the 22-time All-Star. His two former teams, the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, are also in the running.
“We’re not going to be rushed,” Paul said on an episode of the “Game Over” podcast published on Monday. “It’s his choice to make, and when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”
James told crowds at last week’s Fanatics Fest event in New York City that he “won’t hold you guys up too much longer.”
The interested teams have already made their pitches, Paul said. The decision rests with James.
“There’s been several people to call and say, ’Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?’” Paul said. “And my answer is, ’No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.’”
The competing teams have been open about their hunt for James. Josh Harris, owner of the 76ers, met with James at the Fanatics Fest after current Philadelphia stars Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid reached out to the free agent, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The 76ers still trail their Eastern Conference rivals in odds posted by prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.
Bettors have anticipated that the Heat have the best shot at landing James after trading for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the offseason.
“We landed the plane,” Heat President Pat Riley said at Antetokounmpo’s introductory event before appearing to hint toward the pursuit of James. “There’s another one we have to land.”
James hasn’t confirmed that the 2026-27 season will be his last. But he turns 42 in December.
“If I were in LeBron James’ shoes, I would choose Miami, and here’s why. If you really think about it: where do people go when they’re about to retire? You don’t have to make nothing up in this situation,” NBA Hall of Famer Chris Bosh, James’ former Heat teammate, said on X. “You see that he’s picked up the sticks; he’s got a new hobby in golf. Where can you golf all the time?”
A return to Cleveland is considered equally likely after the Cavaliers’ trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. James, a native of northeast Ohio, led the franchise to its only championship in 2016.
“I mean, it’s home,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell told sports media company Overtime of his pitch to James last week. “We’ve done it once, let’s do it again. Simple as that.”
While only a handful of teams appear to have a real chance of adding James, players across the league are lobbying the 21-time All-NBA selection. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has outlined his vision if James joins his longtime rival.
“If you’ve got LeBron James and Steph Curry in a pick-and-roll … you’d better go find a role. You’d better go find a spot so you can be valuable,” Green said on his podcast, noting that he’d become a spot-up, corner three-point shooter.
Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis has even tried to convince James to come to the nation’s capital.
“We had some conversations,” Davis said at Fanatics Fest.
For now, the NBA is in a holding pattern. Commissioner Adam Silver, at CNBC’s Game Plan Summit last week, said the league is waiting for James to sign before finalizing its schedule for the upcoming season.
Not even James’ closest confidantes are sure when he’ll sign, though.
“I don’t know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds. It could be 48 minutes. I don’t know,” Paul said. “Again, you can’t make somebody know something that they don’t know.”
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