Finally. The week LeBron James makes a free agency decision is here, right? Right?
Late last week, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said James could make his decision the week of July 20. League insider Dave McMenamin, who has closely followed James’ career, reported that the four-time MVP is truly moving closer to choosing his next team.
We have entered Week 4 of the LeBron-a-Thon, which began after James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he wasn’t going to return for the 2026-27 season, ending an eight-year run with the franchise he joined after departing from the Cleveland Cavaliers a second time in 2018.
As Cavaliers Await LeBron James Decision, Top Insider Gives Major Vote of Confidence
CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 21: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms up prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena on January 21, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Many believed James would wait until after the World Cup Final to announce his decision. Well, here we are.
James has been strongly linked to the Cavs and four other teams, but league insider Bill Simmons believes the 22-time All-Star will be Cleveland-bound for the third time in his career.
“I would still bet on Cleveland; I think that’s gonna happen,” Simmons expressed on his podcast. “I just think they’re just trying to figure out how to get him on the team where they don’t have to just pay him the minimum.”
From the moment the news broke that James was no longer going to be a Laker, all eyes turned back to the Cavs, with whom James spent the first seven seasons of his career and 11 of his 23 seasons overall.
In 2018, James left Cleveland for the second time in eight years, but his exit didn’t at all resemble the first one.
Two years earlier, James, with the help of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, delivered the Cavs their first-ever championship, fulfilling the promise he made to Cleveland upon returning to the franchise in 2014.
If James returns to the Cavs this summer, there will likely be no promises made. It might just be where this legendary ride finally winds down.
Cleveland Not Alone in Race to LeBron
GettyMIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 06: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat embrace on the court after their game at Kaseya Center on November 06, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Akron, Ohio, may be where James is from, but sometimes merely a hometown pull isn’t enough.
McMenamin reported last week that even though the Cavs might have the edge in the James sweepstakes, the other teams involved — the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves — still believe they have a chance.
“Is not that any of these teams have been eliminated,” McMenamin said. “But in the conversation that I’ve had in the last 24 hours in New York City, it seems like an Eastern Conference team will win the LeBron sweepstakes.”
James revealed last week during an appearance at the Fanatics Fest in New York City that his daughter, Zhuri, has been a major factor in his decision-making process.
Zhuri, the youngest of James’ four children, has spent much of her life growing up in Los Angeles. With her roots planted there, James may be hesitant to uproot her at this stage, particularly if it means relocating across the country.
Family, as James said, has played a major role in his free agency process. That has encouraged speculation that James might choose the Warriors because Golden State is the closest proximity to where James’ family is located.
Will a decision happen this week? There is a growing sense that it might. But until it does, James has the sports world impatiently chirping.
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