The Golden State Warriors may not be out of the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes just yet.
Amid widespread that James is expected to choose betwen the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent, Rich Paul, made some telling comments on Monday that should serve as music to the ears of Warriors fans.
âThese people donât know anything,â Paul said on his “Game Over” podcast, via ESPNâs Dave McMenamin, while addressing the speculation around James’ free agency.
âI donât know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds [from now]. It could be 48 minutes. I donât know. Again, you canât make somebody know something that they donât know.â
LeBron James Free Agency: Still in Deliberation
Paul also suggested that James had yet to truly make a decision on his next team, shooting down reports that he was likely to go to an Eastern Conference team. To that end, Paul noted that several of James’ suitors had reached out again to check if they could speed up the process by making roster tweaks to appease the 41-year-old star.
However, Paul made it clear that James and his camp weren’t asking suitors for the moon and were satisfied with the pitches presented. Now, it’s simply a matter of James making his decision after careful deliberation.
“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 of his recent conversations.
“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.’”
Warriors in Holding Pattern
Per ESPN’s McMenamin, the Cavaliers, Heat, and Sixers hold the edge over the Warriors due to James’ reported wish to return to the East after playing his last eight seasons in the other conference. Amid such chatter, some insiders blame James’ camp for stalling the Warriors’ offseason, noting that the franchise has reportedly paused other trade talks while waiting on his decision.
From Paul’s perspective, no team has been asked to wait on James.
“There’s roster spots that’s not filled,” Paul said, addressing the critics. “If they want to fill their roster spots, we’re not saying don’t fill your roster spots.”
Paul also shot back at analysts who’ve blamed James for holding the entire free-agency market hostage, as Draymond Green, James Harden and others wait on his decision.
“I think it’s important for people to understand: We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle,” Paul said.
“It’s not about a ‘Decision’ or anything like that. He has a choice to make. He has a business choice to make. We’re not going to sit here and decide or allow someone else to decide when he makes that decision. … It’s a business choice that he’s making. And I think as an athlete, why is it that an athlete has to rush his choice?”
Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver has urged James to make up his mind quickly so the league can finalize the schedule for the 2026-27 season.
“I saw Adam in New York and we discussed it,” Paul revealed. “And like I said, it’s still his choice. So if he doesn’t really know, you can’t rush it. You can’t rush it.”
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