When LeBron James has been a free agent in the past, he's been pretty exclusive about which teams he allows to pursue him. Though far more teams tried to get him, in his past three legitimate free agencies, he and agent Rich Paul have taken 14 total meetings:
- In 2010, James met with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. He wound up signing with the Heat.
- In 2014, Rich Paul conducted meetings on James' behalf with the Heat, Cavaliers, Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. James would later meet with the Heat personally as well as the Cavaliers before ultimately returning to Cleveland.
- In 2018, James met with the Lakers, while Paul met with the 76ers on his behalf. He ultimately joined the Lakers.
But he's taking a different approach to his 2026 free agency. It's July 2, and the only team he's known to have ruled out is the Lakers. Conversations have been held, and interest has seemingly been expressed, but it does not seem as though James is in any rush to make up his mind, nor has a field truly been set. He has essentially told the league to come and get him.
So you know what? If any team can get Rich Paul on the phone right now and try to sell James on a future playing for them, why don't we make the pitch? Below, we're going to make the pitch for all 29 non-Laker teams and rank them based on their likelihood of success.
As much of the reporting has thus far suggested, the primary driver for James here is going to be happiness. What exactly does that mean? The ability to legitimately compete for a championship, for one. Playing in a market that is, for one reason or another, desirable is another. Personal relationships with key stakeholders help. And while money will by no means be a dealbreaker for those who don't have it, the ability to pay James a salary commensurate with his stature in the sport certainly doesn't hurt.
Something further to keep in mind: the fact that James is seemingly open to taking a minimum or close to minimum salary means that he is going to generate a substantial amount of surplus value for whichever team he signs with. Having, say, a $30 million player count for less than $3 million against the cap is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for front offices. James, therefore, has the leverage to make some requests here. With that in mind, a category we will keep in mind will be what sort of moves these teams can still make to appeal to James.
Got it? Good. Let's begin
29. Memphis Grizzlies
The pitch: "You started your career by playing with Carlos Boozer for a year. Finish your career by playing with Cameron Boozer for a year. Plus, there will probably be an opportunity for a pretty lucrative Hyatt sponsorship here."
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. He literally said he might have "pulled an Eli Manning" to avoid playing for the Grizzlies had they drafted him.
28. Milwaukee Bucks
The pitch: "Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't think an MVP could win a championship with this team. Prove him wrong!"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. James disparaged Milwaukee in the same clip in which he went after Memphis.
27. New Orleans Pelicans
The pitch: "You've never been able to celebrate Mardi Gras since it falls during the season. Now's your chance!"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. If James wants to partake in the Mardi Gras festivities, he's free to do so after he retires, but the man is in his 40s. New Orleans is a city that tends to appeal to a younger crowd.
26. Sacramento Kings
The pitch: "Think of the branding opportunities of The King playing for the Kings!"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. There is no beam bright enough to lure LeBron to Sacramento.
25. Charlotte Hornets
The pitch: "We have infinite shooting and just traded our point guard, so you can handle the ball and pad all of your scoring records by attacking the basket with our incredible spacing."
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. A fun basketball idea, but James wants to play for an all-in team, not one that just traded away a star and plays in a lackluster market.
24. Utah Jazz
The pitch: "We're gonna start trying to win now that our tank is complete and we've acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. Plus, nothing would bug Laker fans more than watching you sign with Danny Ainge. The Lakers just went all out to get Walker Kessler from us rather than keep you, so wouldn't it be sweet to play for us and show them what they're missing out on?"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. Again, fun idea, ultimately unrealistic. James has chosen golf as his middle-aged hobby, not skiing.
23. Phoenix Suns
The pitch: "We're close to Los Angeles, have great golf, and you played with Devin Booker on Team USA."
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. They're a play-in team with minimal upside to be better, and they're too chaotic an organization to get the end of LeBron's career. It shouldn't register as noteworthy when your head coach makes it to his second season on the job.
22. Orlando Magic
The pitch: "Your minimum salary will go further without state income taxes, and we have some of the best golf in the world!"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. There's a better team in the state that he's more familiar with, and there's not nearly enough shooting here for the roster to make sense for him.
21. Chicago Bulls
The pitch: "There's no better path to passing Michael Jordan than winning in his uniform!"
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. They're too many years away, and their new front office still has too much to prove.
20. Portland Trail Blazers
The pitch: "We have a lot of former All-Stars, one present All-Star, and we're close to the Nike campus."
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. That team has more than enough mouths to feed with the Ja Morant trade as it is, they don't need another player who wants the ball in his hands.
19. Atlanta Hawks
The pitch: "Popular NBA city, lots of tradable assets and no bad contracts, and we play in the East so the playoff path is easier."
Likelihood of success: Non-existent. The Hawks could have gotten into this if they'd been more aggressive this offseason, but they're slow-playing their roster-build and that's probably for the best.
18. Boston Celtics
The pitch: "Nothing would enrage Laker fans more than watching you lift a trophy as a Celtic. We have Jayson Tatum, we just got two extra first-round picks we can use to build around you, and we're a historically competent organization that you can trust to manage the end of your career properly."
Likelihood of success: Minimal. This is where we cross the threshold into "at least remotely believable," but it would have made much more sense before the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown and used their mid-level exception on Mitchell Robinson. The Celtics took a step back with that trade and lack the financial carrot that the mid-level presented. Besides, James has a long and ugly history of playoff battles with Boston. This would honestly feel weirder than Shaquille O'Neal's shamrock cameo did.
17. Brooklyn Nets
The pitch: "We have the cap space to pay you real money to live in New York and expand your business interests. We're at our lowest organizational point following the Knicks championship. If we ever turn it around, you coming here would forever be the starting point."
Likelihood of success: Minimal. The Nets would have to use all of their extra draft picks to make a substantial trade first, and even then, they are so far away from meaningful winning that there's not much upside here.
16. Dallas Mavericks
The pitch: "Your buddy Kyrie Irving would love to play with you again. Come to Dallas and teach Cooper Flagg to be the next face of American basketball!"
Likelihood of success: Minimal. They fired Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd, both of whom James has prior relationships with, and they traded Anthony Davis, his former Laker teammate. Irving and Flagg are appealing for obvious reasons, but things don't go much further than that. Maybe if Flagg were a few years older and closer to his prime.
15. Washington Wizards
The pitch: "Your buddy Anthony Davis would love to play with you again. Come to the nation's capital, become a political voice, and teach our young players what it takes to win."
Likelihood of success: Minimal. A James-Trae Young fit would be iffy, the young guys need the ball, and the team just isn't good enough yet. James hasn't been quite as political in recent years as he was when he was younger. Davis isn't exactly a spring chicken either. A reunion would be nice, but those two together no longer create an obvious contender.
14. Detroit Pistons
The pitch: "We just won 60 games, we're so good on defense that you could rest on that end of the floor, and Cade Cunningham will minimize your night-to-night offensive burden. We just need a secondary creator for the playoffs and we can win the title."
Likelihood of success: Minimal. It's the market more than anything, but also the simmering Jalen Duren drama and the minimal shooting here make for a suboptimal fit. If they call, he should listen.
13. Toronto Raptors
The pitch: "You know what a playoff killer Kawhi Leonard is, and Scottie Barnes is headed in that direction. You've already conquered the United States, come to Canada and claim dominion over the entire continent."
Likelihood of success: Minimal. The basketball fit is fascinating. This roster could use a bit more passing, and they'd have more versatility on the wing than perhaps any team in NBA history. But does James really want to deal with the hassle of going to another country at this stage of his career? Does he really want to bet on Leonard's health?
12. Indiana Pacers
The pitch: "The last time we were healthy, we reached Game 7 of the Finals and would have won if Tyrese Haliburton could have finished the game. We have a genius coach in Rick Carlisle and a system that prizes basketball IQ. Indiana is perhaps the most basketball-crazed region in the world, and we've never won an NBA championship. If you win it for us, you'll be immortal here forever.
Likelihood of success: Slim. It's another small market, and it's a team James has faced in the playoffs several times, so there are probably some scars here. But this concept surely appeals to the basketball genius inside of him. The Pacers, if nothing else, seem like a very fun team to play for.
11. Los Angeles Clippers
The pitch: "You wouldn't have to leave Los Angeles, we have around $25 million in cap space, and we could trade some of these draft picks we've been accumulating to get you an appropriate co-star."
Likelihood of success: Slim. The Clippers probably could do it if they really wanted to. They've accumulated a very healthy stock of future draft picks throughout their teardown. But they don't want to trade them to go all-in on another old guy, and James probably doesn't want the risk of being associated with this team while the Aspiration investigation is ongoing.
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
The pitch: "If you play for us, we'll win the championship."
Likelihood of success: Slim. It's Oklahoma, and it would be perceived as ring-chasing. If James is comfortable with those two things, then there's a good chance he'll join the Thunder. If we assume either is a hangup, it gets much less likely.
9. Houston Rockets
The pitch: "The Warriors are going to try to sell you on an Expendables-esque run with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Well, we have Kevin Durant, and we have matching salary and control over a Dallas first-round pick in 2029. What if we trade for Kyrie Irving too and give you a version of that Golden State experiment that actually has enough youth and depth leftover to really compete for something?"
Likelihood of success: Slim.. but potentially meaningful. It's just a matter of how seriously the Rockets are prepared to take this. Get Dallas on the phone. I imagine the Mavericks would be amenable to turning Irving into, say, Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, another contract and pick capital centered around their own 2029 first-rounder. The Rockets could get the James-Durant-Irving trio without sacrificing their best draft picks or young core. That is absolutely worth exploring, but we've gotten no indication that the Rockets are doing so.
8. New York Knicks
The pitch: "When we won our first championship in 1970, we needed to add Earl Monroe to get our second in 1973. We just lost Mitchell Robinson. We need reinforcements. You may have missed the drought-ending title, but if you turn a champion into a dynasty, you can still earn New York immortality."
Likelihood of success: Meaningful. Had the Knicks lost to the Spurs in the Finals, they may have topped this list. Ending the drought was the main appeal here, but living in New York and playing for a winner both count for something, and the Monroe parallel adds a bit of historical heft. There's a challenge here worth tackling, so the Knicks can't be ruled out.
7. Philadelphia 76ers
The pitch: "We just traded for Jaylen Brown, we have stars across the age spectrum at point guard, shooting guard and center, and we have a LeBron James-sized hole at power forward."
Likelihood of success: Meaningful. The 76ers could argue to James that he would give them star-level talent at all five positions. The depth is minimal, but Dean Wade at least was a nice addition to bring sorely needed on-ball defense. They still have one first-round pick to trade in 2033. The real hangup here is Joel Embiid's health. If Philadelphia had a reliable answer at center, it might be one of the James favorites.
6. Denver Nuggets
The pitch: "You're friends with the owner of the team, and Nikola Jokić is perhaps your only equal as a basketball genius in the modern NBA."
Likelihood of success: Meaningful. There are questions here. The defense still isn't good enough. Is there a substantial trade coming? Are they going to be willing to pay the historic luxury-tax bill that would come with re-signing Peyton Watson? Maybe the chance to host the James retirement tour would be lucrative enough to convince them to foot it. This is probably the most purely fun basketball scenario. James played with Marc Gasol only briefly in the 2020-21 season, but that pairing had a +11 net rating. This would be the apex version of that combination. James isn't doing this unless the Nuggets pony up to keep Watson, but if they do, it's absolutely on the table.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
The pitch: "Anthony Edwards is good enough to be the best player on a champion, but not so good that he'd outshine you. We just went all-in on LaMelo Ball, and we would love you to teach him what it means to play serious, championship-caliber basketball. Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert have the defense locked down. Our franchise has never won a championship, and our city hasn't won one in 35 years. Win in Minnesota, and no one will ever question you again."
Likelihood of success: For Minnesota and Denver, James might genuinely be the difference between competing with the Thunder and Spurs or not. The basketball fit is cleaner with the Timberwolves. They're more balanced. They're not staring down a giant tax bill. James grew tired of how unwilling the Lakers were to push assets into the present to try and win with him. Tim Connelly's aggression borders on irresponsibility. James can rest assured that if there is literally anything that can be done to improve the roster, Connelly is trying to do it. The market and the money are the only real holdups here.
4. San Antonio Spurs
The pitch: "We just lost the Finals because we couldn't get good shots late in games. You would fix that. We signed Tobias Harris, but he's a backup at this point. You'd be the power forward we were missing last season. You and Gregg Popovich have shared a longstanding mutual admiration. Come hand Victor Wembanyama the 'Face of the League' baton. If you play here for two years, there is a very real chance that you retire with as many championships as Michael Jordan."
Likelihood of success: Meaningful. It'd be a bit higher if they hadn't used the mid-level exception on Tobias Harris, but if James is willing to come for the minimum, that solves that. He probably wouldn't be eager to live in San Antonio, but if winning championships is the goal here, come on, this is a no-brainer. Other than the Thunder, this is his only real chance at winning multiple titles before he retires. This is the path to Jordan's six. The basketball fit is complicated because of all of the ball-handling the Spurs have, but that's solvable. James can play with anyone. The Spurs tend to avoid the sort of media circus James creates, but for both sides, this would be a partnership that maximizes championship odds, which means it's a partnership worth pursuing.
3. Miami Heat
The pitch: "We have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, so our defense is going to be great. We need another creator. You know what a tight ship we run. Erik Spoelstra knows exactly how to use you. You're comfortable in Miami, having already played here. Your return to Cleveland led to a championship, and we're betting your return to Miami would as well."
Likelihood of success: Substantial. If James wants to bet the end of his career on an organization, the Heat track record and his own experience there makes Miami the pick. Antetokounmpo is still an MVP-caliber player. Adebayo is an ideal supporting star for those two, and Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins can further minimize James' offensive burden. They'd have to find more shooting, but that's doable. The Heat check basically every box, and even if there was any lingering bad blood after his departure, if James can forgive Dan Gilbert, he can forgive Pat Riley.
2. Golden State Warriors
The pitch: "Stephen Curry is your only historical peer in the NBA. You've battled him more than any other player, you loved playing with him in the Olympics. This is your one and only chance to see what it would be like to play real, NBA games with him. We'll clear out the mid-level exception so you don't have to deal with the stigma of a minimum salary, and we'll accommodate whatever travel back and forth between San Francisco and Los Angeles you need to do. All we want to do is make the end of Curry's career count, and yours with it. We've been chasing you for years. We were willing to trade for you at a max salary. We'll appreciate you more than the Lakers or any other team."
Likelihood of success: Substantial. This isn't something James would do because the Warriors could win him a championship, because right now, they can't. It's not something he would do for money, because the mid-level is a rounding error to his net worth. It would be something James does purely because he wants to do it. Because he's checking the final box off of his NBA bucket list by getting the Curry experience. The Warriors have been trying to make this happen for several years now. To other teams, getting James is a no-brainer. It's something to do because the surplus value is so substantial that you'd be crazy not to do it. But for the Warriors, James has been a genuine, long-term organizational ambition. If he wants to feel appreciated, this is where it happens.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
The pitch: "Can you really imagine your career ending anywhere else? Come home. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are ideal teammates for you. James Harden can at least minimize your ball-handling burden. We're trying to clear money to pay you the mid-level exception, and Harden cooperated by declining his player option. We have some picks to use to try to improve. If we could make the Eastern Conference Finals without you, we can win it all if you return to Cleveland one last time."
Likelihood of success: Substantial. James knows how weird it would look for his legacy if his final game came in a Warriors uniform. Returning to Miami would cheapen the heft of his initial return to Cleveland. This is where he can have his cake and eat it too. He could escape the Thunder and Spurs by moving East. He could play for an extremely talented roster. And he could have a proper, emotionally resonant retirement tour in the only city that deserves to host it. There are questions here. The trio of James, Mitchell and Harden isn't stopping a nose bleed on the perimeter. The Cavaliers would have to go out and find a perimeter defender. They have some draft picks in the 2030s to do that with. They're trying to clear out money so as to avoid paying James the minimum, but that money should probably be spent replacing Keon Ellis and Dean Wade. If the roster gets where it needs to go, though, this should be a no-brainer. Cleveland should be the answer.
