What will help guide LeBron James’ impending free agent decision? Agent Rich Paul discusses
With future Basketball Hall of Famer LeBron James searching for his new NBA home this offseason, he’s in the pursuit of happiness.
Since James informed the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he won’t be re-signing with them after eight seasons with the organization, “happiness” (not money) has been the popular word used to describe what will guide James’ decision in free agency this summer. The Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have been the three teams most frequently linked to James by national NBA reporters since his Lakers departure became public.
“When you talk about happiness, you got to remember, it’s always been this thing about money,” James’ agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said during a Tuesday appearance on “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul.” “I think the happiness word comes into play when you’re saying, no, this isn’t about money. Let’s not make this about money. Let’s just make this about me ultimately making a decision based upon how I feel I want to position myself and be totally happy.”
So what would make James happy?
“I just think it’s more so along the lines of having the ability to compete for the possibility of winning a championship,” Paul said.
Paul revealed the Warriors are a team that he has already spoken with regarding James’ future since leaguewide free agent negotiations opened Tuesday at 6 p.m. But Paul wouldn’t disclose any other suitors that he has talked to, and it’s unclear if the Heat was one of the teams he spoke with on the first night of free agency.
“I’ve talked to probably about 12 to 14 teams,” Paul said. “You can let your imagination run.”
Does market size matter to James?
“As long as there’s indoor and outdoor golf, I think he’ll be fine,” Paul said, not wanting to say too much on James’ NBA future.
Paul then emphasized that it will be important for James to have teammates who “understand how to play at a high level.”
“If you can find humility and peace, and you can still be competitive and give yourself a chance, a possibility of winning, that is complete happiness,” Paul said. “That’s the holy grail.”
If James wants to return to the Heat, the team would have interest in making that happen, a league source conveyed on Tuesday.
James, who is entering his 24th NBA season, has a history with the Heat.
James spent four seasons with the Heat from 2010 to 2014, winning NBA championships with the organization in 2012 and 2013 in four NBA Finals appearances. He also was selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player two times while with the Heat.
James left the Heat as a free agent in 2014 to return to Cavaliers, the team he left to join the Heat in 2010.
The relationship between the Heat and James initially was frosty after their breakup, but is now strong. The Heat would welcome a return by James, a source has said.
Even at 41, James remains a very effective player. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 31.7% on threes in 60 appearances for the Lakers last season.
The fact that James’ free agent decision will reportedly not be motivated by money is good for the Heat because it doesn’t have much to offer him.
After committing a one-year contract worth $6.5 million to three-point shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. early in free agency on Tuesday, the Heat currently has just about $6.5 million left of its midlevel exception or a minimum contract to offer James since it is hard-capped at the first apron because of the blockbuster trade that landed two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat could create more room under the first apron to offer James the entire $8.5 million it has left of its midlevel exception by shedding money in a trade.
At the start of Day 2 in free agency Wednesday, the Heat’s roster stood at 12 players on standard contracts for next season: Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Bobby Portis, Davion Mitchell, Hardaway, Dru Smith, Simone Fontecchio, Pelle Larsson, Myron Gardner and Ryan Conwell.
NBA teams are essentially required to carry at least 14 players on standard contracts and can have up to 15 players on standard deals during the regular seasons, which leaves the Heat with two to three standard roster spots to fill.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of speculation on teams,” Paul continued when asked about James’ NBA future. “Everyone is going to speculate on teams. And it’s exactly that, it’s all speculation. We have not talked to anybody about what teams or a team or anything like that.”
Will James take a long time to make a decision on which team he’ll sign with?
“I can’t put a timeline on it,” Paul said. “We all have to sit here and speculate until we have nothing else to speculate about.”
