LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 23, 2026.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles against the Detroit Pistons on March 23, 2026. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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LeBron James Drawing Interest From Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors

Ashish MathurJune 30, 2026 1:00 PMJune 30, 2026 1:07 PM

LeBron James will draw interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors once free agency starts, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

James will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA legend played for the Lakers from 2018-19 to 2025-26 and guided the franchise to the 2020 championship against the Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

James has played for the Cavaliers twice (2003-10, 2014-18). He’s the greatest player in franchise history and was born and raised in Akron, Ohio.

Meanwhile, James played for the Heat from 2010-14. Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster trade this offseason. The Heat, led by Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, appear interested in creating a “Big 3” of James, Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Draymond Green, who has the same agent (Rich Paul) as James, is declining his $27.7 million player option for next season to become a free agent. This move gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue James in free agency. Golden State wants to pair James with Green and Stephen Curry.

James and Curry were teammates on Team USA in the summer of 2024. USA beat France in the gold medal game and James and Curry were a dynamic duo throughout the Olympics. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was the coach of Team USA, so there would be plenty of familiar faces for James in Golden State.

Arguably the greatest player in NBA history, James played in 60 games this past season, his 23rd year in the NBA. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

James, who has been in the NBA since 2003, is a four-time MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP. He’s the all-time leader in points, field goals, minutes and games.