LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul makes case for Heat, other top suitors in free agency
If anybody is still wondering whether the Miami Heat is actually a realistic landing spot for future Basketball Hall of Famer LeBron James in free agency this offseason, James’ agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul essentially confirmed the Heat is in the mix.
On the latest episode of “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” released Friday, Paul brought out a whiteboard to discuss James’ top options in free agency.
While Paul revealed that 27 NBA teams have called him about James since free agency opened on Tuesday, there were five teams written directly around the word “LeBron” on Paul’s whiteboard: the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers.
Then on the periphery of the whiteboard, the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks were written as options for James in free agency.
So does this mean that the Heat, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Timberwolves and 76ers are James’ top five free agent destinations?
“You can think whatever you think,” Paul said when asked that question by Kellerman. “This is just my board. You decide what you want to think.”
While Paul discussed each team on his whiteboard, he didn’t say much about the Heat’s situation.
“Now you go down south — [Davion] Mitchell, [Andrew] Wiggins, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Bam [Adebayo], plus Pat [Riley], plus [Erik Spoelstra],” Paul said before the conversation quickly turned to the 76ers.
When the conversation returned to the Heat later, Kellerman said of Miami as a possible landing spot for James: “Not only has he done it there already, there’s not a lot of shooting on that team.”
“They have Tim Hardaway Jr. now, too,” Paul responded.
“But still not a lot of shooting,” Kellerman shot back.
“Yeah, there’s a ways to go,” Paul said.
Paul also made an interesting revelation later in the episode, saying that “if the Knicks hadn't had won, there would be no board. He would be going to the Knicks.”
If James’ interest in returning to the Heat is serious, the team would have interest in making that happen, a league source conveyed earlier this week.
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.
“This is a true free agency process because so much has changed,” ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said Friday morning when asked about James’ situation. “There’s the fluidity that comes with it with information. A few days ago, the 76ers didn’t have Jaylen Brown. Now, they do. They did it in stunning fashion, so now they have to be on the radar of LeBron James. So where does he fit them? And then the Cavaliers, the Heat, they’re two teams that are known quantities. The Warriors going into free agency, they dreamt up a grand plan of Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, LeBron James. But the big domino with them is trying to get a player like Anthony Davis, so you can bring in LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a package deal. But short of that, they’re not really looked at right now at the top of this list. But things can change.”
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 Hardaway 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 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 4 in free agency Friday, 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. Miami has been in a bit of a holding pattern with its roster since adding the 12th player in Hardaway on the first day of free agency Tuesday.
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 just wanted you to have a glimpse inside of my world so you can see how difficult this stuff is,” Paul said before James’ free agency whiteboard went away. “It’s not easy.”
This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 10:14 AM.
