For the first time since he took his talents to sunny Southern California, LeBron James will be an unrestricted free agent.
As such, it’s not much of a surprise to hear that at least one-third of the NBA might be keeping tabs on his services. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll seriously consider joining most of his suitors. He’s already won it all, has earned dozens of millions and has earned the right to handpick his next destination.
According to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, a return to the Los Angeles Lakers is still much in play. However, he’s also strongly considering teaming up with Stephen Curry.
LeBron James is considering the Lakers and Warriors in free agency
“Still, the prevailing sentiment, according to more than half a dozen sources around the league, is that James will likely return to the Lakers if he comes back, with the Golden State Warriors presenting a realistic second option,” McMenamin wrote.
While moving up north to the Bay Area might be enticing, the financial repercussions of joining the Warriors might scare him away. As things stand now, the Warriors can only offer him the $15.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. The Lakers, on the other hand, can give him a three-year, $182 million max contract, though that sounds unlikely.
James is a billionaire and has made nearly $600 million in NBA salary, per Spotrac, so money shouldn’t be an issue at this point in his career if he truly wanted to join a given team. As to which team gives him the best chance to win his fifth NBA championship and finally tie Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan, both the Lakers and Warriors are still a couple of steps behind other Western Conference powerhouses.
