LeBron James ‘not going to be rushed’ on free-agent decision, says Rich Paul

As the basketball world continues to wait for LeBron James to decide where he will play in his record-setting 24th NBA season, Rich Paul, his longtime friend and agent, said teams will have to keep on waiting, insisting that James does not yet know his decision.

“We’re not going to be rushed,” Paul said on the latest episode of his podcast, “Game Over” with Max Kellerman, that was released Monday night. “We’re not going to be rushed. It’s his choice to make, and when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”

When asked by Kellerman if there was a leader in the race for James’ services or if James was leaning toward a certain team at the moment, Paul said, “There’s nothing I can say.”

Paul added: “I don’t know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds (from now). It could be 48 minutes. I don’t know. Again, you can’t make somebody know something that they don’t know.”

Where will LeBron James end up?

The Athletic NBA Staff and Jeshua Kidd

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Paul informed the Los Angeles Lakers on June 30 that James would not be returning to the Lakers for the 2026-27 season. Teams around the league were allowed to woo James. Still, over the past three weeks, the 22-time All-Star forward has narrowed the options for his next team down to five: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors.

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According to Paul, there is nothing left for those teams to do to secure James’s commitment.

“There’s been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?’ ” Paul said. “And my answer is, ‘No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.’ ”

While dragging out the decision doesn’t affect James, business around the league is being held up as teams wait. Several anxious teams are still trying to sort out their rosters in the back half of July, a rarity in a normal offseason.

Over the weekend, James made several appearances in New York and offered little insight into his decision regarding the upcoming season. That left some skeptics saying he was dragging out this decision to garner more attention. Paul denied that claim, insisting that the four-time NBA MVP is taking the time he needs to make the best decision possible.

“I think it’s important for people to understand: We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle,” Paul said. “It’s not about a ‘Decision’ or anything like that. He has a choice to make. He has a business choice to make. We’re not going to sit here and decide or allow someone else to decide when he makes that decision. …

“It’s a business choice that he’s making. And I think as an athlete, why is it that an athlete has to rush his choice?”

LeBron James ‘not going to be rushed’ on free-agent decision, says Rich Paul

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