NBA legend LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent this summer for the first time since 2018. He will not re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, and according to his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, King James would’ve signed with the New York Knicks if they hadn’t won the title this year against the San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s difficult because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that,” Paul said on his podcast. “The Knicks have a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn’t had won, this wouldn’t even [be a question]. There would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks.”
Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose used to be James’ agent and New York head coach Mike Brown coached James on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James met with the Knicks in the summer of 2010 before leaving the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.
Paul told ESPN on Friday that he has spoken to 27 teams about James’ services. With Max Kellerman, Paul used a whiteboard and pointer to illustrate a group of teams that James could join and weighed the positives and negatives of each club.
Paul included 10 teams on the board during the podcast. They were the Philadelphia 76ers, Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Heat, Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Spurs.
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. Many people consider James to be the greatest player in NBA history.
James holds career averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in the regular season and 28.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in the playoffs. He led LAL to the 2020 championship against Miami at the Walt Disney World bubble but hasn’t been back to the NBA Finals since.
A 22-time All-Star, James played in 60 regular-season games last season for the Lakers. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. The Akron native put up 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the 2026 playoffs in 10 contests. He is still an elite performer despite being the oldest active player in the NBA.
“I said to LeBron, ‘These calls that I’m getting a true testament to how you have respected this game,'” Paul said on his podcast. “‘It’s Year 24.'”
James has played for the Cavaliers twice and the Heat once. Most NBA insiders Dallas Hoops Journal has spoken to believe LeBron will sign with Cleveland, Miami or Golden State.
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