LeBron James has been the biggest free agent this offseason. Over a week since the free agency opened, the league has yet to know the 41-year-old’s next destination after he left the Los Angeles Lakers.
With several teams in the hunt, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat, a former Lakers legend laid out the potential problems of an organization that would take James for next season.
According to Byron Scott, a former player and coach of the Lakers, James would bring in a multitude of antics, ranging from his agent to his son Bronny, who is still under contract with the Lakers.
“All the antics, the people that’s working with, you know, Rich Paul and all those guys and all the other stuff that goes along with it. Bronny James, do you have to get Bronny James out of his Laker deal?,” Scott said in his podcast.
“So there is a lot of layers to it when you’re talking about bringing LeBron along. We all know this for a fact.”
Scott is also predicting that James would not want to go off the bench and would prefer himself to be one of the top contributors on the court.
“He ain’t going to go to another team and say, ‘Well, I’ll come off the bench.’ You know, I’ll be a role player, come off the bench,” he said. “He can still probably be your third best player or your second-best player on the team. You could be successful. But the teams that we’re talking about that really are looking at LeBron right now, that Rich Paul said are looking at LeBron right now are teams that maybe can get to the next level and that next level ain’t a championship team or winning a championship. That’s just my opinion.”
“All the antics, the people that’s working with, you know, Rich Paul and all those guys and all the other stuff that goes along with it.
Cavaliers, Warriors Currently The Favorites To Land LeBron James
GettyWho are the favorites to land LeBron James?
The Cavaliers are seen to be the favorites to land James in free agency. The expectations are heavily aided by James’ deep ties to the area and the organization, which drafted him first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.
The Cavaliers are presenting a win-now roster built for the championship, featuring star guard Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and James Harden, who is expected to sign a reduced contract to help the team sign LeBron in free agency.
Meanwhile, Golden State’s Draymond Green has aggressively recruited James to the Warriors, and the front office even hired former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel as associate head coach to sweeten the pitch.
The two squads are the top two favorites to land James in free agency, according to numerous betting sites.
Cavaliers Head Coach Hints At LeBron James Recruitment
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the third quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 05, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and talked on the broadcast of a team’s game.
There, he hinted at the Cavaliers’ chase of LeBron James in free agency.
“You guys know there’s a little free agency thing going on right now. That could be our real jump and you know what I’m talking about. That’s exciting too,” Atkinson said.
Many saw that as the coach’s way of joining the pitches to bring back James to Cleveland, the team that he once led to the 2016 NBA championship and four straight NBA Finals in the 2010s.
For now, nobody knows where LeBron would end up. But the Cavaliers hope it will be a storybook end for one of their home-grown stars.
Former Lakers Legend Explains LeBron James Problems Teams Must Accept