yahoo - 6/11/2026 3:36:35 PM - GMT (+2 )
It's time for The LeBron James Decision, part (who's really keeping count anyway).
James, 41, will be an unrestricted free agent in a few weeks when the NBA's free agency period begins June 30.
The league's all-time leader in seasons played will be able to verbally agree to sign with a team and negotiate deals, but will not be able to put pen to paper and officially sign a new contract until July 6.
James hasn't publicly indicated he knows what he wants to do. He said during an episode of his "Mind The Game" podcast with Steve Nash that his decision could come late this summer.
"I'm still in the moment of like, just taking my time," James said. "I haven't even really thought about it too much. Obviously, I understand that I'm a free agent and I can control my own destiny, (if it's) being here with this (Lakers) franchise for the foreseeable future, or if it's going somewhere else. ... I think at some point you know, up until late June, as July rolls around, free agency starts to get going and July's rolling and maybe into August we start to kind of like, get a feel of what my future may look like."
There has been wide speculation that potential landing spots for James include the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. However, The Stein Line, by NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, reported in a Tuesday article that many believe James will remain with the Lakers, though the Warriors are a dark horse.
"Staying with the Lakers is widely believed to be (James') preferred choice because he is so entrenched in Los Angeles now after eight seasons with the purple and gold," Stein and Fischer wrote. "Yet league sources maintain that Golden State remains legitimately interested in adding LeBron to their Stephen Curry/Jimmy Butler/Draymond Green core coached by Steve Kerr … with the pitch presumed to include the idea that LeBron could commute from Los Angeles to some TBD degree without having to move his family."
Family is one of the main factors in James' decision, he said so on his podcast. He's expressed a desire to be playing somewhere close to his wife and daughter, who live in LA, and close to his son, Bryce, who plays at Arizona.
Also, his first born son, Bronny, is his teammate on the Lakers and has two years left on his contract. Therefore, it's plausible that James re-signs with the purple and gold on another two-year, player-option deal with a no-trade clause.
"That's very important, and it's up there. I mean, 1A and 1B is like, where do I feel comfortable with doing my career, but also with my family," James said. "How do they feel about whatever the decision that I'm able to come up with and make? That's a joint decision as well. I give them the insight, both my boys, my daughter and my wife. You know, so you know it's 1A and 1B. I don't think one is higher than the other, whatever the case may be."
During a radio appearance on the "Willard and Dibs" show on the Bay Area's 95.7 The Game, ESPN NBA senior writer Marc J. Spears said the Warriors need to get creative with bringing someone else in because he was told that James is staying with the Lakers .... although it's still worth it to see if James is interested.
"Somebody that would know that's close to (James) suggested to me that he thought he was staying in Los Angeles," Spears said. "But you got to be creative. You got to see if LeBron James is interested."
"Somebody that's close to [LeBron James] suggested to me that he was staying in LA. The Warriors need to be creative from a veteran standpoint to bring somebody else in that could give an extra boost to this team."@MarcJSpears on the Warriors' offseason plans | @WillardAndDibspic.twitter.com/koC9fbUXwW
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 10, 2026
It appears the Cavs are highly unlikely.
"The idea of a third stint for James as a Cleveland Cavalier is harder to envision not only because of the severe financial limitations that the Cavs would face in trying to bring him back to Northern Ohio but the sheer distance from what has been established since the summer of 2018 as James' Southern California base," Stein and Fischer wrote.
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists on 51.5% field goal shooting in 66 games during the 2025-26 season. James would be returning for his 24th NBA season, extending his own record.
As for which team James will be suiting up for in Year 24, well, the countdown to the start of the James sweepstakes is on.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LeBron James likely to sign with Lakers or Warriors, experts say
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