{"id":748691,"date":"2026-07-07T15:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/748691\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T15:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T15:10:15","slug":"the-bounce-picking-the-best-fit-for-lebron-james","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/748691\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: Picking the best fit for LeBron James"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\":basketball:\"\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

In case you haven\u2019t noticed, we\u2019re on our summer schedule for The Bounce! We move from five days a week down to two days, posting every Tuesday and Friday. Maybe we\u2019ll do a bonus edition if something massive breaks. We\u2019ll go back to the full schedule when training camp hits in late September!<\/p>\n

LeChoices<\/p>\n

LeBron James is a free agent, and everybody is wondering where he\u2019s going to sign. It feels like we\u2019ve done this before. Yes, he\u2019s 41 years old going on 42. Yes, he\u2019s going into his unprecedented 24th season \u2014 something only a handful of professional athletes have done in any sport. And yet, several teams around the NBA are throwing their hats into the ring in the hopes of bringing LeBron to their franchise. Some for the third time!<\/p>\n

Recently on his \u201cGame Over\u201d podcast with Max Kellerman, super agent Rich Paul broke down things that could possibly tie LeBron to his next team<\/a>. Some of it involved players. Some of it involved off-the-court opportunities. Before we jump into the options<\/a>, let\u2019s look at the whiteboard Paul had on the podcast, linking LeBron to various places:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Just to keep things tidy, let\u2019s eliminate the Celtics, Mavericks, Spurs and Knicks. We\u2019re going to focus on the Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, Timberwolves, Nuggets and 76ers. We\u2019ll go over some pros and cons and throw down a 1-5 scale of emojis on whether he should sign there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Minnesota: The Wolves recently sent out Julius Randle for cap flexibility and then used that flexibility to acquire LaMelo Ball. Anthony Edwards needed help with playmaking, and now they need someone who can play the four.<\/p>\n

Pros: Edwards is a superstar. Rudy Gobert is still great defensively. Jaden McDaniels will defend the best player. Chris Finch is an excellent coach. LaMelo.
\nCons: LaMelo might not be a serious player. Very little depth. Very little big man depth. Bench is extremely young. Donte DiVincenzo out for the year? Still in the West.<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \ud83d\udc3a\ud83d\udc3a<\/p>\n

Denver: Is Nikola Joki\u0107 still the best player in the world? Do the Nuggets have enough cache after losing to Minnesota again? They might be on a numbers crunch, but pairing LeBron and Joki\u0107 is highly enticing.<\/p>\n

Pros: Joki\u0107 makes everything so easy. This team is a contender when healthy. Denver has some pretty good depth. Won a title three years ago.
\nCons: Injuries in the playoffs are an issue. Almost no roster flexibility. Defense is a big question. You\u2019re still in the West.<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \u26f0\ufe0f\u26f0\ufe0f<\/p>\n

Golden State: The Warriors are still waiting for Jimmy Butler to come back. Draymond Green opted out to make it easier to acquire LeBron. And there\u2019s that dangled idea of trying to convince the Wizards to trade Anthony Davis. But they went 37-45 and missed the playoffs last season.<\/p>\n

Pros: Play alongside Steph Curry and Draymond. Organization desperate to compete for a title. Steve Kerr is a familiar coach. Further your tech money connections.
\nCons: This team would be so old. Old teams typically don\u2019t hold up. You\u2019re still in the West. Jimmy is hurt until February?<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83c\udf73\ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83c\udf73\ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83c\udf73<\/p>\n

Miami: Where he first became a champion. The Heat need some outside shooting and playmaking, badly. They just acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron could help make them serious contenders in the East. They lost in the Play-In Tournament and missed the postseason.<\/p>\n

Pros: You, Giannis and Bam Adebayo. You\u2019re in the East. A familiar place that you know is all about winning titles. Lockdown defensive team. Best coach in the NBA.
\nCons: There isn\u2019t much scoring on this roster. There isn\u2019t much shooting on this roster. They don\u2019t have flexibility to add much to the roster. You have to play point guard.<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \ud83c\udfd6\ufe0f\ud83c\udfd6\ufe0f\ud83c\udfd6\ufe0f<\/p>\n

Philadelphia: The 76ers figured out last season how to survive without Joel Embiid, and they just acquired Jaylen Brown in a theft of a trade. Philadelphia came back against the Celtics from down 3-1 to exorcise some demons, too.<\/p>\n

Pros: Acquired Brown. Dynamic backcourt. Just need you to play the four. You\u2019re in the East. This team learned how to win some without Embiid.
\nCons: You still need Embiid to win the East. His injury history isn\u2019t great. This team might not have enough actual outside shooting. Defense could be tough.<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \ud83e\udd85\ud83e\udd85\ud83e\udd85\ud83e\udd85<\/p>\n

Cleveland: Going back home. Again. Drafted there in 2003. Signed back in 2014. Left in 2018 with delivering a championship in 2016, along with four straight NBA Finals appearances. The Cavs just went to the East finals but were swept by the Knicks.<\/p>\n

Pros: All-NBA talent with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley. One of the more talented rosters. You\u2019re in the East. It\u2019s home \u2026 again. Storybook ending.
\nCons: This team has flamed out in the last four postseasons. Shocking disappearing acts from several key members. They might not like their coach, Kenny Atkinson. No roster flexibility.<\/p>\n

Should LeBron go there? \u2694\ufe0f\u2694\ufe0f\u2694\ufe0f\u2694\ufe0f<\/p>\n

So \u2026 I guess it comes down to Philly or Cleveland? I\u2019m not sure I believe in one over the other, but if the idea is that LeBron will both be happy where he is and compete for a title, he probably has to be in the East. Miami doesn\u2019t have the depth, so it\u2019s just below the other two. I like the idea of Golden State the best from a fun standpoint, but that team isn\u2019t winning a title.<\/p>\n

Could LeBron\u2019s eventual signing change the balance of power in the NBA? Because so far, offseason moves haven\u2019t tipped the scales<\/a><\/p>\n

Top 5 LeBron Lakers Moments<\/p>\n

The last 24<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcb5 Value plays. Tari Eason and Tim Hardaway Jr. weren\u2019t the big names in free agency. But they\u2019re among the best value moves of the offseason<\/a>, according to our Fred Katz.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea2 Newest Clipper. The Clippers are signing Rui Hachimura after losing Kawhi Leonard and John Collins. It\u2019s a two-year, $28 million deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcb0 They\u2019ll match? The Nuggets are using a great negotiating tactic with restricted FA Peyton Watson. They plan to match but could sign-and-trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd15 Hand injury. Mitchell Robinson revealed how he broke his hand before the finals. It was a frustrating moment in his personal life<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd26 Still an issue. The WNBA had an officiating problem for years. Guess what? It hasn\u2019t improved<\/a>! <\/p>\n

Stream the NBA on Fubo (try it for free!<\/a>)\u00a0and catch out-of-market games on\u00a0League Pass<\/a><\/p>\n

Upcoming free agent?<\/p>\n

Why Joki\u0107 still hasn\u2019t signed his extension<\/p>\n

Most Nuggets fans will trust Joki\u0107 with anything. From horse information to getting the best cevapi possible to leading their beloved basketball team to a victory and another title. Joki\u0107 has more than earned that trust with his three MVPs, his finals MVP and the championship banner he put in Ball Arena in Denver. Why wouldn\u2019t you trust him?<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean some fans won\u2019t get a little nervous that Joki\u0107 is not going to sign a contract extension with Denver<\/a>. He\u2019s reiterated over and over that he wants to retire with the Nuggets and doesn\u2019t want to leave them. But he bypassed signing an extension last summer, and he\u2019s not going to sign one with them this summer either. Even though he could sign a four-year, max contract that would give him $278 million.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Nikola Joki\u0107 appears to have a plan for his next contract. (Jesse Johnson \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Why won\u2019t he do that? Why is he so intent on becoming a free agent in 2027? Should Nuggets fans be anxious that Joki\u0107 could hit them with a Giannis situation? Fear not! This is just what\u2019s best for him in staying with the Nuggets for the most money possible.<\/p>\n

When he becomes a free agent in 2027, he\u2019ll be eligible to re-sign with the team for five years and $359.5 million. Yes, that\u2019s a real number. Yes, that will be his number. An average of nearly $72 million per season. That new contract will pay him max money when he\u2019s 37 years old. And looking at Joki\u0107\u2019s game, I can\u2019t imagine losing some athleticism between 31 (his age now) and 37 (his age at the end of that next deal) would cost him much on the basketball court.<\/p>\n

How important is that extra $81 million he\u2019s going to make by waiting? Well, I looked it up, and apparently the most expensive racehorse ever sold went for $70 million<\/a>. Big Honey knows why he should wait one more year to sign with Denver.<\/p>\n

Summer lovin\u2019<\/p>\n

What to watch in Vegas on Thursday<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Summer League begins on Thursday, and per usual, we are getting the grand matchup of the top two picks in the most recent NBA Draft immediately.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already had a preview of coming attractions thanks to the California and the Salt Lake City summer leagues. Darius Acuff Jr. had 25 points on 9-of-29 from the field (!!!) for the Summer Kings in California. Darryn Peterson had 28 points on 11-of-21 from the field, and Cameron Boozer had 15 efficient points in their respective Salt Lake City debuts.<\/p>\n

No offense to those other summer sessions, but all eyes will be on the Vegas action. You\u2019re probably wondering where you should put your attention this weekend. Well, I have five things to look for on Thursday! We\u2019ll review some action and go over the rest in Friday\u2019s Bounce.<\/p>\n

(All times ET.)<\/p>\n

AJ Dybantsa vs. Peterson, 9 p.m. on ESPN: Peterson said he comes out on top when they play. I wonder if we\u2019ll get a remix of their epic high school showdown, when Peterson had 61 and Dybantsa had 49.<\/p>\n

Acuff vs. Keaton Wagler, 11 p.m. on ESPN: The Clippers decided Wagler should be their guard of the future over Acuff. We know Acuff is going to gun for every team that passed on him. This should be fun.<\/p>\n

Ebuka Okorie vs. Labron Philon Jr., 4:30 p.m. on ESPN 2: These were two first-round lead guards in a class full of them. But Okorie (Detroit) and Philon (Philly) will both have a chance to prove themselves and eventually shape some playoff contenders.<\/p>\n

Morez Johnson Jr. vs. Yaxel Lendeborg, 7 p.m. on ESPN: A couple of Michigan championship teammates going at it while Dusty May watches in the arena? I can hear \u201cOne Shining Moment\u201d playing right now!<\/p>\n

Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video: The Hornets squad is stacked with Hannes Steinbach (14th pick), Christian Anderson (18th) and three players from last season (Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Liam McNeeley). They\u2019re going against a Magic team loaded with guards and Cam Reddish, the 10th pick from 2019. So much talent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":748692,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[8174,1753,2243,1055,8173,11951,355,2113,99],"class_list":["post-748691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-golden-state-warriors","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-miami-heat","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-nba","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=748691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/748692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=748691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=748691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}