Rich Paul breaks down LeBron James' free agency: What The King's agent said about 10 teams in the hunt
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- LeBron James hit free agency after announcing he will not re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers following eight years, and his agent Rich Paul said the 41-year-old is open to a veteran minimum deal "in the right situation."
- Rich Paul walked through 10 teams in order on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman — Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Denver, Minnesota, Dallas, Golden State, Boston, San Antonio, and New York — and argued the Philadelphia 76ers "everything changed" after their trade for Jaylen Brown, noting James "loves" Tyrese Maxey.
- Cleveland Cavaliers may be the frontrunner, with Paul highlighting relationships with owner Dan Gilbert, his late son Nick, president Koby Altman, and assistant GM Brandon Weems — whom Paul called "basically LeBron's brother" — while flagging that Klutch client Darius Garland was moved in the James Harden trade.
- Miami Heat pitch centers on a starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo plus longstanding ties to Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra from James' 2010-14 stint.
- Dallas Mavericks are being pitched entirely off the court — Paul cited "oil, golf, Macau in the Sands group and then with Masai [Ujiri], you got the whole continent of Africa," with no mention of Cooper Flagg or the roster.
- New York Knicks were almost the destination, per Paul: "If the Knicks hadn't have won, there wouldn't even be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks" — but coming off a title they're now a long shot.
- Golden State Warriors got only a brief mention of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and when Kellerman questioned their peripheral placement, Paul replied, "You can think whatever you think. This is my board."
Why it matters: Paul's whiteboard is the most detailed public roadmap yet of where James could land for season 24, and the fact that he placed Philadelphia first and labeled Cleveland the frontrunner gives two Eastern Conference contenders a real recruiting edge over the Warriors — long presumed favorites. The Knicks revelation also confirms James would have chosen New York if the franchise still needed a savior, underscoring how a championship closed that door permanently.
