LeBron James has still not decided where he wants to play next season. Or, if he has, he hasn’t shared it with the world, and that’s starting to cause some issues around the league. First and foremost, NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted Thursday that they cannot finalize the schedule until they know where James will play.
In addition, some big-name players, including James Harden, Draymond Green and DeMar DeRozan remain unsigned because their contracts — and possibly even where they sign — depend on James’ decision. Likewise, all of the main suitors involved — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers — cannot finalize their rosters or plans for the upcoming season until they know if they’ll have James or not.
As we continue to wait for James’ latest decision, let’s take a look at some of the ripple effects of his lengthy process.
The 2026-27 NBA schedule remains in flux
The NBA schedule for the upcoming season is typically released in early-to-mid-August, and would normally be going through final revisions around this time. This summer, however, the process has been on hold because James remains unsigned ahead of his historic 24th season, which could possibly be his last.
Because this season may be James’ farewell tour, the league and the television/streaming networks might be even more eager to feature him than usual. But it’s impossible to set the schedule for marquee events such as Christmas Day, let alone countless primetime national TV games, until the league knows which team James will be on.
Here’s Silver at Thursday’s CNBC x Boardroom summit, when asked about the impact of James’ decision:
CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin: Just about an hour-and-a-half ago. And, of course, Rich tried to get a little bit out of him. But this is going to have a huge impact wherever he goes, and how you, as the commissioner of this, think about that.
Silver: So, I guess all politics are local. The way I think about it is, we have to finish up the schedule.
Sorkin: Right.
Silver: And where LeBron plays will affect the schedule. So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision. And, but the direct answer is, I have no inside information.
Silver said he has an “inkling” of where James will sign, and that there are “certain stories” he prefers over others. While he didn’t share his preference, he did say that if James returned to Cleveland, it would be a “great storyline” and hopes that James goes somewhere where “there’s going to be true joy around the game.”
“It’s amazing what he’s done for the sport, for the league, and he deserves exactly what — the opportunities that were presented to him to be able to make his own decision on what’s best for him and his family,” Silver said. “So I completely respect that. But, as I said, I think on behalf of the league, I think there are certain storylines that may be better than others, but I don’t want to prejudge it. Let’s see what he does.
Certain teams in the mix for James, such as the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are going to be featured heavily no matter what, but the attention would be magnified 10- or 20-fold if James joined. On the other hand, if James signs with the Cavaliers or Minnesota Timberwolves, those teams would gain much more national exposure than they would without him.
Harden, Green, DeRozan waiting to sign
Free agency is largely complete, but in addition to James there are a number of big names still unsigned. That includes James Harden, Draymond Green and DeMar DeRozan. It’s unlikely that any of those veterans signs a new deal until James picks his destination, because that will impact how much money teams have available. Or, in DeRozan’s case, whether they have a role for him.
Harden had a player option for $42.3 million in 2026-27, but opted out this summer and became an unrestricted free agent to give the Cavaliers more flexibility to chase James. He is expected to re-sign in Cleveland on a multi-year deal, but his salary will depend on whether James is in town or not.
As The Athletic’s Joe Vardon noted back in June, if Harden accepted a $30 million per year deal, and the Cavaliers were able to shed Max Strus‘ $16.6 million salary, they could offer James the mid-level exception ($15 million) rather than a minimum.
Likewise, Green declined his $27.7 million player option for next season and became an unrestricted free agent this summer, but is expected to remain in the Bay Area. The only question is on how much money.
“For me personally, I’m always willing to work with the team on whatever is best, especially at this point in my career,” Green said on his podcast in June. “As you all know, I’ve always taken the approach of working with the organization. I’ve been in one place for 14 years — it’s more like a family to me than anything.”
The Warriors currently can only offer James a minimum contract, but as Bobby Marks noted, if they are able to trade Moses Moody ($12.5 million) and Green takes a discount in the $20-22 million range, they could raise their offer to James.
As for DeRozan, he was waived by the Sacramento Kings earlier this month, making him an unrestricted free agent. The six-time All-Star is still a high-level scorer, and could be a back-up plan for teams that fail to sign James. Marc Stein reported Friday that “a more complete picture of DeRozan’s suitors will emerge after James picks his next team.”
Suitors still need to fill out rosters
As the main suitors for James wait to see if they’ve won the sweepstakes, they’ve had to put their final roster decisions on hold.
In some cases, those are big decisions. How much money should the Cavaliers and Warriors give Harden and Green, respectively? Is it worth pursuing DeRozan, or a sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent such as Jonathan Kuminga or Peyton Watson?
On the other end of the spectrum, which players make sense for the back-end of the rotation or as a locker room presence? Would the team that gets James sign Kevin Love, for example? There are plenty of other veterans out there that could fill a role, including Bruce Brown, Bradley Beal, Seth Curry, Garrett Temple, Matisse Thybulle and Russell Westbrook.
Source: Original Article
