LeBron James’s agent narrowed down his potential landing spots in NBA free agency.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul is James’s longtime agent and friend. He also co-hosts the “Game Over” podcast with former ESPN host Max Kellerman.
“So, I’m gonna take you on the inside a little bit,” Paul said on the podcast.
“Because we talk about this all the time, but I wanted you to see it. ... As you’re going through this process, and I’m saying to LeBron, ‘you really have to think this through’ because, as you know, if you’re looking at a calendar, and the portion on the calendar looks great, but you have to live with it. Everything looks great in July. Everything looks great on paper. But, you got to be very careful with that.”
Despite a number of players already being moved in blockbuster trades this free agency—Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, and Jaylen Brown—LeBron’s decision is still the biggest headline because of the way he is playing, even though he will be entering his 24th season at 42 years old.
“He’s still the face of the league,” Paul said. “ These calls that I’m getting is a true testament to how you have respected this game.”
Paul drew up a whiteboard with five of the top contenders to land LeBron’s services, and he went through them one by one.
He began with Philadelphia. Paul said that “everything changed” when the Sixers acquired guard/forward Jaylen Brown in a trade this week, giving them a core four of Brown, shooting guard VJ Edgecombe, center Joel Embiid, and point guard Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is also represented by Klutch Sports and has trained with James; Paul said that LeBron “loves” Maxey. Paul and Kellerman both praised Edgecombe as an elite player on both sides of the court, and Paul said that LeBron would help the former third overall pick “understand, really, how to play the game.”
The pair concluded that LeBron would be the ideal glue guy to make that core four function as a team.
The Sixers also have two X-factors: executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson is a former 15-year pro, while president of basketball operations Mike Gansey is an Ohio native who played high school ball against both James and Paul, one of whom he remembers.
Paul then moved on to Miami, with their core four of PG Davion Mitchell, small forward Andrew Wiggins, Giannis, and center Bam Adebayo, along with president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Outside of their current star power, the Heat were Eastern Conference Champions in 2023. Moreover, it would be a return for the King: LeBron won back-to-back championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Paul quickly transitioned to the Cavs, with their core four of shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, combo guard James Harden, and big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. LeBron’s connection to the Cavs is obvious: he was drafted by the Cavs first overall in 2003; he played a total of 13 seasons over two stints, and won Cleveland’s only championship in 2016 after returning to the team.
He has relationships with the Gilbert family, president Koby Altman, and assistant general manager Brandon Weems; Paul said his brotherly relationship with Weems is “a big feather in the cap” for Cleveland.
He then moved on to Denver, and their core four: PG Jamal Murray, dual forwards Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon, and C Nikola Jokic. They still have to make a decision on wing Peyton Watson in free agency, but James has a relationship with the Kroenke family. The Nuggets were champions in 2023.
The final team on the board was Minnesota, whose core four consists of PG LaMelo Ball, SG Anthony Edwards, dual forward Jaden McDaniels, and C Rudy Gobert.
The other teams on the outside were the Dallas Mavericks (James has a relationship with team president Masai Ujiri); the Golden State Warriors with stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green; the Boston Celtics with GM Brad Stevens and star Jayson Tatum; the San Antonio Spurs; and the New York Knicks.
