The intrigue about LeBron James’ pending free agency won’t reach the same level as when he infamously announced his plans to take his talents to South Beach on ESPN.
Nonetheless, an informal sample of NBA executives, assistant coaches and scouts have mixed opinions on whether James will stay with the Los Angeles Lakers and play with Luka Dončić. They also have a mixed outlook on whether James truly would consider joining the Golden State Warriors, and if he could win an NBA championship with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Fadeaway World spoke to a rival NBA executive, assistant coach and scout for more perspective on their outlook on James’ future.
Editor’s note: The following interviews were conducted separately and are edited and condensed. They were all granted anonymity because they are not authorized to talk publicly about the other teams’ players.
Which team do you think LeBron will be with next season?
NBA executive: “LeBron will stay with the Lakers, I think. It’s hard to imagine him leaving. If he wants his money, it’s going to be hard for him to leave. I have to imagine there’s some kind of compromise they can do on, compensation-wise. It’s just easier. I don’t know where else he would be going. I think he would rather play with his son and not have to move.”
NBA assistant coach: “I think he would be good in Golden State. He’s smart enough to be able to play with those other smart minds and maximize everything. He could use his brain with those guys and not have to use as much athleticism. It’s a perfect spot for him. I don’t know if he can put up numbers. But as far as enjoying the game, using his brain and being effective, it’s a good fit. He can make plays happen instead of reacting to plays. He’d have everything that he needs. He’s a brilliant passer. Draymond [Green] is a brilliant screener. And Steph is a brilliant shooter. You combine those three players, he will be able to pick people apart.”
NBA scout: “I think LeBron stays with the Lakers. I don’t think he’d leave his son. I could be wrong. But I don’t think LeBron is giving anybody a discount. He wants his respect and wants to do it on his terms. The Lakers may wish they could get off of him, but he still has control over that deal. The Lakers are the best option. But if all three are healthy with Luka, Austin [Reaves] and LeBron, I don’t think the Lakers are a title contender. Luka is amazing. But I don’t see him enough for the Lakers to win a championship. They’re not going to let Austin Reaves go. So they’re going to let LeBron get what he wants.”
Why don’t you think LeBron stays with the Lakers?
NBA assistant coach: “Their style of play is just not complementary. It was okay. But it’s not as smooth and connected. If one of those guys is out, he gets to do his thing. If they’re all healthy, he has to completely change. Or the other guy has to sacrifice his game. There’s just too much duplication. Luka is the gift and the curse. He is good enough to do it. But he wants to make every single play. He’s good enough to do that. But it is hard to play with a guy like that. It becomes a very unenjoyable experience. His style of play is not team-oriented. Luka at his best is 95% usage.”
Why don’t you think LeBron goes to the Warriors?
NBA executive: “I think the interest is real. But the Warriors likely wouldn’t offer him more than the mid-level [exception]. I would think the Lakers could do better than that. Unless LeBron feels completely insulted, his life would be a whole lot easier if he just stayed in LA. He could continue to play with his son. He doesn’t have to move. And I don’t think going to Golden State really increases his chances of winning a title. How good are the Warriors? Steph, Draymond and LeBron are a really good fit. So it could happen. But from a legacy standpoint, it’s not super sexy. You’re jumping on Steph’s team. Kevin Durant spent his career trying to erase that.”
NBA scout: “The Warriors have an outside chance. But with Jimmy Butler there, they’ll have the same issues. The Warriors just have a bunch of old dudes. Adding LeBron doesn’t put them over the edge. Does it put them in the conversation anything higher than a five seed? I don’t think so. Then there’s the health concerns. LeBron is the healthiest out of all of them. But they all get hurt with Steph, Draymond and Butler. I don’t see it as a fit. The last two years, they’ve just been a Play-In team.
Why don’t you think LeBron goes to Cleveland?
NBA executive: “I understand the Cavs would wrap up LeBron’s career in a nice bow. But Cleveland hasn’t really shown enough. Defensively, if you have LeBron, [James] Harden and Donovan [Mitchell], you have zero perimeter defense. If he’s going there with the idea of trying to contend, that will be pretty tough. We’ll see what they end up doing. But at [Koby] Altman’s press conference, it sounds like they’re going to try to run it back. I’m not really sure. They’re a second-apron team. So their personnel is about to get worse, not better.”
NBA assistant coach: “LeBron would have to do more physically because of their guards and style of play. How he fits into the roster, he doesn’t get to use his brilliance with his playmaking. He becomes more of a high-level role player. In my opinion, it wouldn’t be as fun for him.”
NBA scout: “What does he bring to Cleveland? They’ve already got to deal with Harden. They don’t want another old guy.”
When evaluating his future, how much do you think LeBron is factoring in both his earning potential and legacy?
NBA executive: “I don’t think it’s anything you can compare to anything else. He’s a billionaire. That doesn’t mean he wants to work for free. But I don’t think a cap-space team like Brooklyn or Chicago makes any sense at all. The most he can really get is the taxpayer mid-level for somebody. Cleveland isn’t going to have that. It’s not clear if Golden State will have that or not. And the Lakers can pay him whatever. So I would think they find something to agree. They could do a two-year deal that is a certain amount that’s guaranteed in the second year, and they push a lot of that money toward that second year and then waive him. That’s a way for him to get more money.”
NBA assistant coach: “I think he’s at peace with his legacy. The way he handled the Luka arrival, I don’t think that he really is worried about his legacy. I think he feels like it’s already been stamped. I don’t think he feels he has anything left to prove. Nor does he care about the outside commentary. I think he just wants to enjoy and contribute to winning at this point. The only issue is weighing on whether whoever he joins is going to be a bad team and if they have enough to compete. You don’t want to go somewhere that’s worse than the Lakers and you don’t have a shot. But what else can the guy do?”
NBA scout: “I think it’ll be his last year. I think he wants control of that. He’ll announce it. He wants his respect. He wants the farewell tour.”
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor to Fadeaway World. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
