Most reports indicate that LeBron James will likely land on the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, or Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency. All three teams make sense from different perspectives. James is familiar with the Heat and Cavaliers, and he fills a positional need. Playing in the Eastern Conference also gives him a better shot at playoff success.
Meanwhile, playing for the Warriors could create historic storylines as he would team up with another all-time great, Steph Curry, who has been his biggest rival. A championship win there would also be a tougher path, which would be great for his legacy. While all these teams make compelling cases, NBA reporter Alex Golden has proposed a move to the Indiana Pacers, who would be a dark-horse suitor. He also laid out a pathway for James to land in Indiana.
“As currently constructed, the Pacers sit approximately $2.24 million below the first apron (according to CapSheets.com), leaving them just shy of the roughly $2.45M required to sign LeBron to a one-year veteran minimum contract,” Golden wrote in his column for Sports Illustrated. “Without creating additional room, Indiana simply would not have enough financial flexibility to complete the signing. That’s where Bronny James enters the conversation.
“If the Pacers were to acquire Bronny from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Quenton Jackson, the move would create approximately $288,000 in additional apron space because of the difference in their salaries. Added to Indiana’s existing $2.24 million of breathing room, the Pacers would have roughly $2.52 million below the first apron – enough to legally sign LeBron to the veteran minimum while remaining roughly $70,000 below the apron.”
Golden’s proposal was conditional on reporting that LeBron James did not prioritize money in his free agency decision. A $2.52 million contract is the lowest he could make, as the veteran’s minimum exception starts at $3.9 million for players with 10-plus years in the NBA.
If it were reportedly on the table, a pathway like this would be a compelling case, as James will get to compete for a championship with a team that made the finals two years ago alongside his son, Bronny.
However, for now, it’s only a hypothetical scenario. There have been no rumors linking James to the Pacers, and it’s unlikely he ends up with the franchise.
Report: Cavaliers The Team To Beat In LeBron James Sweepstakes
According to NBA insider Marc Stein’s late-night report on Monday, rival suitors think LeBron James joining the Cleveland Cavaliers is the “scenario to beat.”
“A third (and bow-tying) marriage with the Cleveland Cavaliers continues to be regarded as ‘the scenario to beat’ by the teams pursuing James that have been most frequently mentioned: Golden State, Miami, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Denver,” Stein wrote.
The steam around his former franchise is picking up, as multiple insiders have hinted that Cleveland is James’ ultimate choice. Front Office Sport’s Alex Schiffer said executives consider the Cavaliers the favorites.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater said the Warriors, despite registering interest, believed the Cavaliers were his likeliest landing spot since the beginning. His colleague, Shams Charania, named the Cavaliers among five teams still in the race to sign James.
According to NBA on Prime insider Chris Haynes, LeBron James has the information he needs on all teams, provided by his agent, Rich Paul, so he’s in the final stages of choosing his next franchise.
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