LeBron James shook up the NBA world earlier this week when he made the decision to not return to the Lakers and instead play for a new team this coming season, which will be his 23rd in the league.
Ever since that news broke, there has been rampant speculation about where James will end up signing.
On Friday morning we got some really good inside information on possible landing spots from James’s agent, Rich Paul, who broke down a bunch of different teams that his client could sign with at some point this summer while talking on his podcast “Game Over” with Max Kellerman.
Here’s the list of teams that Paul talked about, along with the whiteboard he used to really dive into each situation.
Rich Paul created a whiteboard outlining LeBron James’s “realistic” potential destinations:
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) July 3, 2026
Warriors
Mavericks
Celtics
Sixers
Cavs
Heat
Wolves
Nuggets
Spurs
Knicks
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/QEWO8f0clX
Let’s take a look at those teams, with Paul’s takes on the pluses and minuses each franchise presents for James.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are coming off their first NBA championship in 53 years and have a roster that would only get stronger with the addition of James. However, Paul said that winning the title probably makes it difficult for them to add the league’s all-time leading scorer.
“If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks,” Paul said.
Paul spoke about how James has won championships before by adding guys to a team that he was already playing for. He said adding James to a team that is coming off a championship could create a problem for that team and wouldn’t be something James would want to do to them unless he got the O.K. from their star player.
“Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say ‘hey man, there’s no issue with me,’” Paul said before confirming that the Knicks have “checked in” on James.
Rich Paul on LeBron James to the Knicks 😳
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026
“If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks…. Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say ‘hey man, there’s no issue with me.’ They (Knicks) have checked in.”
(Via Game Over) https://t.co/iFyuJgEBt8 pic.twitter.com/hpy1PnVU1Q
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have had quite a week, having pulled off a stunning trade with the Celtics for Jaylen Brown. Their core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, V. J. Edgecombe and Brown is pretty darn solid and it feels like it could be a perfect fit for James.
“How could you not have his attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid?,” Paul asked. “He loves Maxey, so we don’t even have to talk about that. V.J., he helps V.J. understand really how to play the game. The benefit that he gets, it would be ridiculous.”
Paul added that the Sixers having some former players in the front office, like general manager Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson, is also something that James likes.
Rich Paul talking about Lebron signing with the Sixers pic.twitter.com/ykiCf7w7ex
— Laz🇱🇷🦅 (@Lazerus) July 3, 2026
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs seem like a very strong candidate to land James, as they are his hometown team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003. He later, of course, returned to the franchise and won a title with them in 2016.
Paul spoke about James’s relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and how that could play into a return to Cleveland.
“Dan and Grant, those are the Gilberts plus Koby (Altman); he was there when LeBron won there,” Paul said. “This is a big, big X-factor. Let me talk to you about Brandon Weems. Weems is basically LeBron’s brother. He worked his own way. Nobody gave him anything. He’s earned to be in the front office of the Cavs ... that is a big feather in the cap.”
Paul said the one big problem with the Cavs is that Darius Garland is no longer on the team.
“The negative is, and this is no diss to (James) Harden, no (Darius) Garland,” Paul said. “Because he (James) loves Garland like he loves (Tyrese) Maxey.”
Rich Paul on the Positives and Negative of LeBron going back to Cleveland 👀
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026
Positives: Big X factor, Brandon Weems. Brandon Weems is basically LeBron’s brother... That is a big feather in the cap
Negative: The negative is, no knock to Harden, but no Garland. He loves Garland… pic.twitter.com/RZo0UwApCk
Miami Heat
The Heat would be a fascinating landing spot because James is very familiar with the franchise, having won two championships with them during his four years with the team and because they traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo last month.
“You go down south,” Paul said. (Davion) Mitchell, (Andrew) Wiggins, Giannis, Bam (Adebayo). Plus Pat (Riley), Plus Spo.”
Rich Paul and Max Kellerman on the positives about LeBron going to Miami:
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026
Rich: You go down south. Mitchell, Wiggins, Giannis, Bam. Plus Pat, Plus Spo.
Max: At LeBron’s age he can play defense here and there… At 42 he don’t have the energy to carry the offensive load and play… https://t.co/SXfpnyhdze pic.twitter.com/ZfWAuBUp4I
Golden State Warriors
James to the Warriors has become a hot topic because it would be wild to see him team up with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. However, that would be a very old lineup.
Still, Paul thinks that would mean a lot to James.
“Steph and Dray, obviously you get four-time champions like you are,” Paul said. “You get some of the highest IQ basketball. You get a guy like (owner) Joe Lacob who, I’ve told you this the whole time, wants to win. He wants to win and he’s a great business mind, at that.”
Rich Paul on the potential of LeBron Joining the Warriors with listed reasons:
— LoonMuse (@KevonLooneyMuse) July 3, 2026
-Golf with Steph
-Chance to play with Steph and Dray
-Winning ownership under Joe Lacob
-High IQ basketball
(via Game Over / Spotify) pic.twitter.com/VQMBp3WiD1
The other teams Paul mentioned don’t seem to have the best chances to land James for various reasons. For the Celtics he wrote down “Brad and Tatum,” for Brad Stevens and Jayson Tatum. For the Timberwolves and Nuggets he listed the star players already on those teams and for the Mavs he spoke about the team’s ownership group. Also he had the Spurs underlined and you have to think teaming James up with Victor Wembanyama and a squad that just went to the NBA Finals would be very interesting.
The big takeaway from all of this is that was pretty fascinating to hear James’s agent talk so openly about all the things they are looking into leading up to whenever that decision may come.
