Sixteen years ago, the NBA world held its breath waiting for LeBron James to announce where he would play. Now, in the summer of 2026, history appears to be repeating itself.
James was the defining free agent move of the 2010 offseason when he chose to head to Miami, and once again he stands as the most anticipated decision of this year’s player movement period. The NBA’s free agency window officially opens Tuesday evening, with James’ next destination topping the list of burning questions fans and teams alike are eager to see answered.
Retirement does not appear to be on the table — which means the league’s all-time leader in points scored, minutes played, and games played could be suiting up for an unprecedented 24th season. He could also be approaching a milestone of 2,000 career appearances when counting playoff games.
Among the possibilities for James: remaining with the Los Angeles Lakers, heading back to Miami or Cleveland — both of which would welcome him enthusiastically — or potentially linking up with old friends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State for one more shot at a championship.
Green, who is not expected to depart Golden State, declined his $27.6 million player option for next season on Monday. According to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not made the move public, Green did so to give the Warriors greater financial flexibility to pursue additional players — potentially including James.
James himself offered little clarity when the Lakers were bounced from the playoffs this spring by Oklahoma City in a 4-0 sweep. “When the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do,” he said at the time.
That time is nearly here.
Teams can officially begin speaking with free agents — aside from their own players, whom they could contact once the NBA Finals concluded — starting at 6 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. Deals are expected to start emerging quickly, though most cannot be formally signed until after the league’s offseason moratorium lifts on July 6.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. described the current stretch of the offseason as a whirlwind. “This period we’re in right now, kind of from mid-May to mid-July, it’s a two-month sprint through the draft, combine, free agency, Summer League, all that,” he said earlier this month. “We’re super busy right now. But it’s a fun time of year. This is where we get to make decisions, shape the roster, do all that stuff.”
The two teams that just squared off in the NBA Finals — champion New York and runner-up San Antonio — are both expected to largely hold their rosters together, though each will have roster decisions to navigate in the days ahead.
Significant moves have already been made around the league. The Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade stands out among the biggest transactions, while Trae Young locked in a $212 million deal with Washington and Austin Reaves agreed to a $185 million extension with the Lakers.
Miami is set to acquire Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis in a deal that sends Tyler Herro, other players, and draft picks to Milwaukee — though that trade won’t be completed until the moratorium ends July 6. In the meantime, the Heat are expected to look for shooting help. Tim Hardaway Jr., whose father’s number hangs in the rafters in Miami, and Khris Middleton — a longtime Antetokounmpo teammate — are seen as logical fits.
Miami is also holding onto Andrew Wiggins. On Monday, he exercised his $30 million option for the upcoming season and, according to a person familiar with the negotiations, has agreed in principle to a $34 million deal covering the two seasons after that, with the 2028-29 year at his option.
More trades could be on the horizon as well. A person familiar with the talks confirmed to the AP that Toronto has had conversations with the Los Angeles Clippers about the possibility of Kawhi Leonard — who delivered the Raptors their 2019 NBA title — returning to Ontario. Meanwhile, Boston is still believed to be exploring a potential trade involving 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who was the central piece of the Celtics’ ultimately unsuccessful bid to acquire Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee.
Brown addressed his value on social media over the weekend. “Nobody has won more combined regular-season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago,” he wrote. The numbers back him up: Boston has posted 523 wins with Brown in the lineup, including postseason games — six more than Denver has accumulated with Nikola Jokic over the same stretch.
