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
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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