LeBron James’ next team is the most-awaited free agency decision this offseason. Despite the secrecy of LeBron’s plans, a former Cleveland Cavaliers forward said he knows it, but he will not divulge until James finally makes it official.
Talking in the Road Tripping podcast, Richard Jefferson, who was part of Cleveland’s 2016 NBA championship team led by LeBron, said that James has already told him everything, fueling speculation.
“He told me, but I can’t tell anybody,” Jefferson said before on to the details of what he learned from the NBA great. “He told me the date he was going to tell the Lakers he was moving on. Then he told me where he was going. He told me not to say anything. But I know the whole plan. Me, him, and Rich Paul have been talking. So I kind of know their entire strategy.”
“He told me, but I can’t tell anybody… I know the whole plan.”
Notably, Jefferson was with James last month when the 2016 Cavaliers rehnited in an European trip. That time, James had yet to make it known that he was leaving the Lakers.
Waiting Game For Teams As LeBron James Decides His Future
Getty (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
According to Jefferson, James and his camp, led by his longtime agent Rich Paul, are waiting for more things to align before ultimately deciding on their next move.
“They’re waiting on a few other dominoes to fall to make sure everything is aligned. Notice how, once he told the Lakers he wasn’t coming back, they signed all those players the next day,” Jefferson said.
“So he’s just waiting on a couple more things. Me and him are going to stay in touch. We’ll probably chop it up today. We’ve really been game-planning how we want everything to unfold from here. Just waiting on a couple of dominoes.”
Jefferson and James were teammates with the Cavaliers from 2015 to 2017, playing together in three straight NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
Jefferson’s statements further fueled speculations on James’ return to Cleveland, his hometown team and where he started his NBA career.
However, this does not eliminate other teams from being in the race for James. Among them are the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LeBron James Will Not Talk To Any NBA Teams
GettyLeBron James will not talk to teams.
LeBron James is letting his agent Rich Paul do the work before deciding on his next move, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Haynes said that James will not talk to any NBA team and would only let Paul collect all the information for his client, who will then decide on his next move on his own.
“As of right now, there are no plans for LeBron to engage in any meetings to allow teams to pitch him on the idea of coming to their prospective teams,” Haynes said.
“What I’m told is that his agent, Rich Paul, is doing all the background work. He’s talking with teams, and then he, in return he will relay all the intel and data to LeBron James, in which LeBron will make a decision.”
“As of right now there are no plans for LeBron to engage in any meetings to allow teams to pitch him on the idea of coming to their prospective teams…his agent Rich Paul is doing all the background work. He’s talking with teams and then he in return he will relay
That means no team will be personally pitching their case to be LeBron’s next team to the man himself.
That will then leave all the decision-making in James’ hands, who will be playing a record-extending 24th NBA season in his 2026-2027 NBA campaign.
Ex-Cleveland Cavaliers Forward Teases LeBron James’ Major Plans