LeBron James‘ decision in free agency could affect several other moves around the league, but the former Lakers star plans to take his time to determine his next team, ESPN’s Shams Charania stated Thursday morning on Get Up (Twitter video link).
“LeBron James is not in a rush right now to make a decision,” Charania said. “He’s evaluating everything. But his biggest priority in all this is finding a team where he feels he’s going to have a chance to play meaningful basketball, compete for a championship. My understanding is this will not be a financially driven, money decision. His agent, Rich Paul, has been getting about a dozen pitches ever since free agency opened.”
Confirming widespread speculation, Charania pointed to the Warriors, Cavaliers and Heat as the suitors who stand out in his discussions with teams around the league. Charania didn’t mention anyone else, although rumors involving Minnesota, Denver and Philadelphia have gained some traction over the past 24 hours.
Golden State holds the advantage of having its full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15MM available. Miami and Cleveland are both limited in what they can offer, although Paul has indicated that “happiness” and being part of a title contender are more important to James than financial compensation.
Charania expects James to take “probably the next few days” to review the offers and determine the best situation, adding that “there is no timetable” to make a decision.