Лос-Анжелес Лэйкерсээс явахаа зарласнаас хойш NBA-ийн бүх цаг үеийн онооны рекорд эзэмшигч Леброн Жэймс ирэх улиралд аль багт тоглохоо хараахан шийдээгүй байна.
Кливлэнд Кавалиерс, Дэнвэр Наггетс, Голдэн Стэйт Уорриорс, Майами Хит, Миннесота Тимберволвз болон Филадельфи 76ерс багууд түүнийг элсүүлэхээр идэвхтэй ажиллаж байна. Зарим баг бүрэлдэхүүнээ өөрчлөхгүйгээр Жэймсийг хүлээж байгаа бол зарим нь цалингийн цэсээ зохицуулах арга хэмжээ авч байна.
Кливлэнд Кавалиерс тоглогчдоо солилцох замаар цалингийн зай гаргахаар төлөвлөж байгаа бол Дэнвэр Наггетс болон Майами Хит багууд гол ододтойгоо хамт аварга авах боломжийг санал болгож байна. Миннесота Тимберволвз болон Филадельфи 76ерс багуудын хувьд Жэймсийн тоглолтын хэв маягт илүү тохирох хувилбарыг санал болгож байгаа юм.
Одоогоор багууд Жэймсийн шийдвэрийг хүлээх зуураа өөрсдийн бүрэлдэхүүнээ бэхжүүлэх эсвэл ирээдүйн наймааны боломжоо хадгалахын тулд хүлээлтийн байдалд байна. Жэймс ирэх улиралд аль багийг сонгох нь энэ зуны хамгийн чухал үйл явдал болон үргэлжилж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
LeBron James’ decision remains perhaps the biggest unresolved question of NBA free agency.
Days after announcing he would leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer still hasn’t revealed where he’ll play his record 24th season. In the meantime, teams believed to be in the mix continue balancing patience with the reality that the rest of the offseason isn’t on hold. Some have preserved roster flexibility in hopes of landing James. Others have continued making moves while keeping an eye on what could become the defining decision of the summer.
So, where do things actually stand? We asked The Athletic NBA writers who know the teams still in the mix best to share the latest — from each organization’s level of optimism and what it can still offer James to the roster moves that may be waiting on his decision and what comes next if he ultimately says yes.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The pictures on social media sure looked good for Cleveland, didn’t they? LOL, yeah, LeBron has been “home” for a couple of weeks now, playing golf at Akron’s finest country club and partying with friends over the holiday weekend at the nightclub he built not far from where he went to high school. Cavs front-office member Brandon Weems was even with him, photographed alongside James and their friends (Weems also went to St. Vincent-St. Mary).
Otherwise … it’s been quiet. As of this writing, no one knows. Count the Cavs in that group. Cleveland has one or two roster moves to make to be able to pay James $15 million next season instead — unloading Max Strus and Dennis Schröder — but hasn’t done either yet. I am told they, like other teams pursuing James, are in a holding pattern.
The Cavs might make those moves even if James doesn’t pick them. They also might not make those moves if he picks them. Ostensibly, trading Strus for nothing (to increase James’ salary) makes them worse after the departure of Dean Wade. So, if James doesn’t care about the dollars, maybe they hold onto Strus, and possibly even Schröder. That said, removing either one of them without taking anything back gets Cleveland under next season’s first apron, giving the Cavs much more flexibility to upgrade the roster at the trade deadline.
Otherwise, James Harden remains unsigned. The two sides have agreed to the framework and dollar amount of a new contract and are waiting to see if they need the flexibility to sign LeBron (or another free agent) first, which means Harden’s salary would be spread out over three seasons instead of two. A roster spot remains open, potentially for Bronny James. And the Cavs can now offer Donovan Mitchell a four-year, $270 million contract extension. Mitchell signing such a deal would not impact the salary cap for this coming season, so it wouldn’t impact Cleveland’s attempt to sign LeBron. But it’s fair to wonder if everyone will wait on that one until James finishes his business, one way or another. — Joe Vardon, senior NBA writer
The next stop for LeBron should be…
David Aldridge, Joe Vardon and more
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have been an underdog in this race since the start, so they should be thrilled to have made it a full week without being officially eliminated from contention. The question now, though, is whether they’re truly under consideration by James or if he’s simply waiting until the very end of this process to let all of these teams — except for one lucky winner — down at the same time.
Team sources say they truly believe they’re still in it, though they also admit that they’re as in the dark about what might happen next as everyone else. Or close to it, anyway.
To that end, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić shared a meaningful message about his own future on Monday when he told reporters in Belgrade that he plans to re-sign with the Nuggets next summer, when he can become a free agent, and spend the rest of his career in Denver. If James did come to the Mile High City, the last thing he would want is the future of the franchise centerpiece being in doubt while they all work toward a potential title together. Especially considering James, as it stands, can only sign with the Nuggets by way of a veteran’s minimum deal ($3.9 million).
James’ close friendship with Nuggets team president/governor Josh Kroenke is a convenient and positive entry point for Denver in these discussions, but the chance for the 41-year-old to play with a fellow all-time great in Jokić is seen internally as the most obvious recruiting pitch of them all. And as I detailed previously, it doesn’t hurt that Denver is known to have some of the country’s best golf courses — not to mention a two-hour, 15-minute flight to Los Angeles, where James’ family is expected to remain.
As far as the rest of the Nuggets roster goes, Denver has yet to make a major move with its core and appears comfortable running it back (unless James wants to join, of course). The Nuggets are navigating the restricted free agency of forward Peyton Watson, the 23-year-old who is drawing interest from several teams by way of a possible sign-and-trade. There has been a widespread belief that Denver would shed salary this summer as a way to avoid being in the second apron, but Nuggets ownership has not given its front office any such mandate. — Sam Amick, senior NBA writer
Golden State Warriors
The initial hope within the Warriors organization and its fan base that James would come to the Bay after making his announcement seems to have faded a bit in recent days, but nobody seems to know exactly what’s going on. It’s all a waiting game, and the Warriors’ front office is willing to wait and see what he decides. Whether he commits or not, the next most interesting question is what Draymond Green, still a free agent at this point, ends up coming back to next season and potentially beyond.
The reality for the Warriors is that, whether James arrives or not, their roster is going to look a lot like it did last season, with the notable addition of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The first-team All-American has looked solid in his first couple of summer-league games and will take a little of the sting out of things if James signs elsewhere.
A LeBron commitment was always a Hail Mary for a Warriors team that can improve itself only on the margins unless it’s willing to include future first-round picks in a potential deal. The challenge for Mike Dunleavy and his staff is that several of the players they may have had interest in are slowly coming off the board while everyone waits to see what LeBron decides. — Nick Friedell, Warriors writer
Miami Heat
After trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat still need some help with their roster. Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo form a formidable duo, but the rest of the roster is not quite where it needs to be for the Heat to be a contender. James would be a spectacular addition, though it seems at this point that Miami isn’t one of the front-runners. Still, similar to Cleveland, it’s hard to ignore the possibility of a potential reunion, as James won the first two of his four NBA championships with the Heat.
From a cap perspective, Miami has 10 players on the roster. Whether James takes a minimum deal or leverages his standing to squeeze more money out of a team, any salary he makes during his 24th – and age-42 – season would go further in Florida, where there is no state income tax. Operating as a first-apron team, Miami has rightly prioritized finding affordable shooters to fill out its roster, but accessing its exceptions could probably help James pocket some extra bread despite a pay cut to chase ring No. 5.
Money aside — very easy for the non-billionaire to say — James’ fit in Miami might not be perfect, as some may argue that James, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo are all big men at this point. But the additional playmaking from James would absolutely help make things easier for the Heat’s new duo.
James wouldn’t be expected to carry the load, but he could be the ultimate difference-maker for a team deep on bigs with talented wings such as Wiggins and Nikola Jović (should Miami not find a potential trade partner for his four-year, $62.4 million contract) cutting to the basket.
For what it’s worth, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has missed double-digit games in each of his last six seasons, but a star duo like Antetokounmpo and Adebayo should be able to hold down matters as James navigates the long regular season. So, Miami, home to myriad golf courses, might be James’ best balance between money, leisure and staying ready for one last title chase. — James Jackson, NBA writer
Top 5 LeBron Lakers Moments
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves know they have the coldest winter on this list. They also believe they have the best basketball fit for James. That’s the message they have delivered to LeBron’s camp over the last week, saying that their young and very talented team still has a hole at power forward and a need for James’ superior basketball intellect, playmaking ability and battle-tested voice in the locker room.
They have Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and LaMelo Ball to take some of the offensive burden off James, while McDaniels and Rudy Gobert would ensure that he doesn’t have to exert as much energy on the defensive end. They have also told him that winning in Minnesota — helping to deliver the franchise’s first championship and the first title in any of the four major men’s sports since 1991 — would be an achievement that would surpass winning in any other place he is considering.
No one in Minnesota is operating under such illusions. They know luring James to the Twin Cities for what could be the final chapter of his career is a long shot. But they have been very aggressive in their pitch to James’ camp. The simple fact that they are even in the conversation is a testament to how far this organization has come. It wasn’t that long ago that they were the laughing stock of the league, a franchise that players viewed as a last resort. Now, with Edwards leading the way on the court and Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez and Tim Connelly atop the basketball operations, the Wolves can say they are in the running to land, depending on where you stand, the greatest or second-greatest player in NBA history.
You can’t hang a banner for that. But the Wolves can take pride in the fact that the perception of this franchise has changed in a major way. — Jon Krawczynski, Wolves writer
Philadelphia 76ers
From a pure basketball standpoint, the 76ers can offer James a legitimate chance at a championship. The addition of Jaylen Brown increases their overall ceiling to the point of making a potential James addition the proverbial icing on the cake, rather than a true necessity. What Philadelphia offers beyond that is the chance for James to play with point guard Tyrese Maxey and under head coach Nick Nurse, who are both Klutch Sports clients.
Maxey is someone James has long admired as a player and a person, and that admiration is mutual. But, contract-wise, the 76ers are down to handing out a veteran’s minimum. There are some things they can do with the roster to scratch out a bit more space, but it won’t be much. Obviously, James is going to play this season at a discount. But a veteran’s minimum deal would represent the ultimate financial sacrifice, and there has to be some skepticism that he would willingly go that far in the opposite direction when it comes to money.
If we are talking basketball fit, Philly and Minnesota make the most sense. They both have the power-forward spot open that James’ game has evolved into at his advanced age. And the 76ers desperately need James’ playmaking on a roster that right now features a bunch of bucket-getters. A roster that’s yearning for LeBron is enough to keep the Sixers in the conversation. It’s probably not enough to make Philadelphia the favorite, though. — Tony Jones, Sixers writer
