LeBron James’ decision may not be as imminent as some believed. James’ agent, Rich Paul, said Monday that the former Los Angeles Lakers star won’t be “rushed” into picking his next team.
Paul made those comments during an appearance on the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. In addition to saying James will take his time with his decision, Paul added that teams do not need to reach out to try and convince James to sign with them at this point in the process, per ESPN.
“There’s been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?’ And my answer is, ‘No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.'”
That seems to imply James has all the relevant information he needs to make his choice. At this point, he just has to choose his next team. But, Paul stressed, that’s going to come when James is ready, and no one — not even Paul — knows when that’s going to be. He even took a shot at some trying to claim a decision was coming soon.
“These people don’t know anything,” Paul said. “I don’t know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds [from now]. It could be 48 minutes. I don’t know. Again, you can’t make somebody know something that they don’t know.”
James’ free agency has been the No. 1 topic in the NBA this offseason. Once the 41-year-old announced in June that he was leaving the Lakers, a number of teams emerged as possible landing spots for James, who, despite his age, continues to play at a high level.
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James’ free agency hasn’t just been a hot topic among fans. Team executives and the NBA commissioner have made some bold comments on the topic. Miami Heat president Pat Riley appeared on Dan Le Batard’s show Monday to make it clear the team would love to have James back. Riley stressed the team could use another playmaker, a not so veiled reference to James.
The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, made curious comments in July, in which he suggested James’ decision was holding up the NBA from putting together next season’s schedule.
Upon hearing those comments, Paul said he met with Silver privately, once again stressing that James won’t be pushed into making a decision.
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There are plenty of reasons those around the NBA are interested in James’ next destination. Last season, James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. He remains an excellent player, one who will be in the conversation for the NBA GOAT once he calls it a career. Because of that, James is considered the best free-agent on the market.
Put all of that together, and you still have a star player who can affect a franchise both on and off the court. As much as fans, teams and even the NBA commissioner don’t want to do it, a player of James’ caliber is worth waiting on.
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