​LeBron James is prioritizing winning over money as he weighs his next move after parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers. While several franchises have been mentioned as potential destinations, FS1’s Colin Cowherd isn’t buying into the hype surrounding the four-time NBA champion’s free agency. James’ agent, Rich Paul, recently laid out a number of possible landing spots for his client on a whiteboard during the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. Since that appearance, every team Paul named has become a major topic of debate in the race to sign James.
Yet Cowherd remains skeptical that the free-agency buzz is as intense as it’s been portrayed. “I saw one of the quotes here, ‘Teams involved in the LeBron sweepstakes,’ according to Brian Windhorst, ‘are being kept in the dark, and it’s sending suitors into a frenzy,’” Cowherd said. “Uh, I don’t feel it. I don’t feel like it’s a frenzy.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the clubs most frequently discussed in connection with James are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. He also noted that Philadelphia solidified its position after acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. However, Cowherd contends that the roster of genuine contenders is far smaller than the public narrows it to, highlighting that several of the NBA’s elite teams aren’t pursuing James.
“I think if he goes to Cleveland, people will freak out, but it’s Cleveland, right? They haven’t had a lot of success unless LeBron’s created it,” Cowherd continued. “But [the] Spurs and [the] Thunder aren’t interested in LeBron. The Knicks just won a title. They’re not the best team, or they’re not the top team, and they’re not pursuing him.”
The Thunder have built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander through the draft and prudent asset management, the Spurs are prioritizing Victor Wembanyama as the franchise’s future centerpiece, and the Knicks recently ended their 53-year championship drought with Jalen Brunson leading the charge. With established young stars in place, none of these teams has a compelling basketball or cultural incentive to chase James.
Cowherd also argued that James is no longer the kind of superstar who can carry an average roster to the NBA Finals on his own, suggesting the current buzz around his free agency is overstated. “I also think LeBron, at this point, is additive rather than foundational,” he said. “He’ll make you better. He’s not going to make you great. You won’t get 82 games, you won’t get that defense, and he plays in spurts more than he ever has. That’s fine. He’s still very, very good.”
During his eight-year stint with the Lakers, James missed substantial time due to injuries, a reminder of the realities that accompany aging superstars in today’s NBA.