It’s pretty clear that the entire NBA seems to be holding its breath over LeBron James.
While he weighs his next step, a lot of free agency activities are essentially on pause. Rich Paul, James’s agent and CEO of Klutch Sports, mentioned that there’s no hurry for a decision and suggested teams might want to start filling their rosters.
According to sources, many teams and players across the league are in a sort of limbo until James makes a call on his future.
This is also why James Harden is still an unrestricted free agent. He opted against a $42.3 million option with the Cavaliers over three weeks ago, hoping for a new deal with Cleveland. Draymond Green is in the same boat after turning down his $27.7 million option with the Warriors, also seeking a fresh contract with Golden State.
But it’s not just the players directly tied to those franchises who are affected. Teams like the Warriors, Heat, Cavaliers, and 76ers are also waiting. The Lakers, James’s previous team, are holding off on finalizing their roster, too.
Since James declared on June 29 that he wouldn’t be returning for a remarkable 24th season, the Lakers have made several roster changes. They’ve secured players like Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Quentin Ng. Rimes, among others.
After learning that James wouldn’t be back, the Lakers began to revamp their lineup around Luka Doncic. But as they move closer to shaping their roster for the upcoming season—they need to release at least one player—it appears they, too, are waiting for James’s decision.
There’s interest in adding free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, but progress on that front has stalled lately. The last offer reportedly hovered around a $10 million annual salary, but that’s starting to fade as a potential deal.
The Lakers were considering a sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks involving Kuminga, but it seems less likely he’d return to Atlanta. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers also show strong interest in him, being perhaps the most connected team besides the Lakers. Their head coach, Kenny Atkinson, has prior experience coaching Kuminga, which adds to the intrigue.
Interestingly, the Lakers might be using the uncertainty around James as some leverage in negotiations with Kuminga.
There’s no set timeline on when James will make a decision, but speculation suggests it could be soon. That uncertainty leaves the Lakers in a precarious spot.
As it stands, the Lakers have 16 players under contract and will have to either trade or waive at least one before October to meet league regulations. Yet, it’s truly contingent on what James ultimately decides.
Another aspect to consider is whether a team that James joins would be interested in trading for Bronny James. There’s no certainty that Bronny would follow his father to a new team. While he holds a special place within the Lakers—having been drafted by them with a late pick in 2024—if LeBron’s next franchise is willing to give up a substantial asset for him, things could shift dramatically.
Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, and Jared Vanderbilt are other names to keep in mind regarding the Lakers’ roster challenges. Besides Kuminga, they’re also assessing options for big men following their recent additions.
While it’s now a different landscape for the Lakers after eight seasons with James, they, like many others in the NBA, are waiting to see what his next move will be before they jump into any significant changes.
