'Every contender' is calling about LeBron James' free agency — Here's what that means
'Every contender' is calling about LeBron James' free agency — Here's what that means
Jeff Smith, For The WinTue, May 19, 2026 at 3:29 PM UTC
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'Every contender' is calling about LeBron James' free agency — Here's what that means
LeBron James' impending free agency has ignited immense fan interest, and according to the latest report, a league-wide pursuit of the Los Angeles Lakers star is already underway. As LeBron's long-time agent, Rich Paul, reportedly told ESPN's Shams Charania, if the 41-year-old four-time MVP wants to join a contender, there's no shortage of interest from teams.
Charania joined The Pat McAfee Show and discussed LeBron's future, revealing details of the early interest teams are showing ahead of the 2026 NBA free agency.
"I do know a lot of teams are calling him and his camp," Charania said. "I spoke to Rich Paul the other day … he told me like every contender in the NBA has essentially, since the season ended, placed a call."
It's not surprising to hear that there's plenty of interest in James, should he opt to leave the Lakers in free agency. However, as Charania pointed out, LeBron's comfort level in Los Angeles, paired with the Lakers' interest in re-signing him, could also play a big part in the future Hall-of-Famer's decision.
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Deciphering the latest on LeBron James' free agency, Lakers' future
If James were to join another contender in free agency, he'd almost certainly do so as the second or third option, a role he took on frequently with the Lakers this season. But what's important here is that this likely means that teams were impressed with his willingness to accept that role and even take a backseat offensively at times.
Considering the Lakers' interest in bringing James back, they obviously have little concern about how things went when he shared the floor with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. That part is telling, and James' comments after the Lakers' playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder also signaled that he's willing to be in that position again, should he return for the 2026-27 season.
"I'm not looking at my year as a disappointment, that's for damn sure," James told reporters. "I was put into some positions that I've never played in my career before -- actually, in my life. I've never been a third option in my life."
Although the free agency interest is bound to be high in James, it'd be tough to envision him leaving Los Angeles for what could be his final NBA season. After all, if he stays, it means another year playing alongside his son, Bronny, and there's plenty of interest in what the Lakers' ceiling could look like with Doncic back healthy.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James free agency update: Why 'every contender' has interest
Source: “AOL Sports”
