The last month has been dominated by LeBron James, as he remains the biggest free agent on the market. James has quite literally put the entire league on pause, especially the other free agents who have yet to sign.
It has been a lengthy process that has yet to reach a conclusion. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently commented on wanting James to make a decision soon due to scheduling reasons.
“I would like him to make his announcement already, so he can finish the schedule. Because as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc,” Silver said.
The hope was that Silver’s comments would encourage James to make his decision sooner. However, James’ agent Rich Paul was not a fan of that approach, revealing that he met with Silver in New York during Fanatics Fest.
“I saw Adam in NY and we discussed it…if he (Bron) doesn’t know — you can’t rush it…we’re not going to be rushed…it’s his choice to make…just like Pat (Riley) said…there’s been several people who called and said ‘hey Rich is there anymore that we should be doing?’ And my answer is no. We don’t need you to go above and beyond…all the messages have been sent…we’re not saying don’t fill your roster spots,” Paul told Max Kellerman of Game Over podcast.
On Monday, Paul appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and made it clear that James is still not close to deciding where he will sign.
“Just have to be patient. … I don’t know,” Paul said.
This appears to be a process that could last a little while longer, potentially even stretching into August. James is believed to be focused on three primary destinations: the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The four-time NBA champion has several factors to weigh before making his decision. James must consider his family, happiness, and which championship-caliber roster gives him the best opportunity to compete. Because of that, the final decision may still be some time away.
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