"It's not certain that even LeBron James himself knows where he will sign"
In the United States, the focus remains on the future of the NBA superstar. His agent addressed the various candidacies: "Everything is clear, all messages have been conveyed."
24 days have passed since LeBron James announced that he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers, but one of the biggest stories of the NBA summer is still far from a resolution. The Athletic reported this evening that despite countless rumors and reports, even those close to James do not know where he will play next season.
"The truth is that no one knows right now except for LeBron," said a source close to the star who requested to remain anonymous. "And I am not even sure that LeBron himself knows yet."
According to the report, five teams are still considered candidates to sign James: Cleveland, Golden State, Miami, Minnesota, and Philadelphia. All of them are waiting for his decision before they make further moves regarding their rosters, while the NBA management is also waiting to finalize the schedule for the 2026/27 season.
Commissioner Adam Silver admitted last week that he would like LeBron to make a decision: "I would like him to announce it already, so we can finish the schedule. The teams, the broadcast networks, and everyone are waiting."
Meanwhile, a variety of rumors have spread, including a claim that LeBron is intentionally delaying the announcement to make things difficult for Silver. The Athletic clarifies that there is no indication of this, and notes that those close to James described reports claiming he had already chosen a team and then changed his mind as "a lie."
LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, also tried to calm things down this week:
"We asked the teams if there is anything else they need to do or can do. The answer was no. Everything is clear, all messages have been conveyed."
Only two teams have so far taken steps aimed directly at keeping the option to sign James: in Golden State, Draymond Green surprised by waiving his player option in his contract, a move made in coordination with the club's management to create flexibility under the salary cap in case of adding LeBron and trading Anthony Davis. However, the Warriors understand that Washington is not interested at this stage in trading Davis.
Cleveland is also preparing for the possibility of a historic comeback. James Harden, who joined the Cavs last year, has not yet signed a new contract to allow the club financial flexibility, and recently stated that this is "the goal and the plan." In addition, the Cavs temporarily stopped the sale of season ticket packages for next season — an unusual move estimated to be intended to allow for price adjustments in the event of LeBron's return.
On the other hand, Miami, Minnesota, and Philadelphia, while they did make significant moves in the summer, according to The Athletic, were not made specifically to convince LeBron to join. The heads of the three teams publicly expressed their desire to sign him, while in Cleveland and Golden State, the managements themselves kept silent.
