NBA Free Agency 2026 Tracker: Live Updates and Analysis—Rich Paul Gives Update on LeBron James Decision Timeline

We may be waiting a while to learn what uniform LeBron will don next season.

LeBron James’s free agency decision may not happen “anytime soon” according to Rich Paul. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NBA free agency is officially underway and this week has shook up the league. Jaylen Brown is now a 76er, Kawhi Leonard is a Raptor and LeBron James will definitely not be a Laker next season.

On that last note: most of the big signings are over and done with by this point in the free agency period, but the LeBron situation obviously looms as an item of great interest. The longtime superstar is absolutely talented enough to play a big role on a contending team, even if he’s past the point of dragging under-talented rosters to the Finals on an annual basis. Which makes his free agency decision monumental. His top priority is reportedly winning and so there is a very good chance whatever team James chooses will catapult from championship hopeful to contender—and perhaps even favorite, depending on where he lands.

Unfortunately it doesn’t sound as though we’ll be learning what team that is in the near future. James’s agent, Rich Paul, gave an update on his most famous client’s decision timeline to Forbes reporter Mark Medina on Saturday.

“I don’t think this happens anytime soon,” Paul told Medina. When asked if we should expect to be waiting weeks to hear from LeBron, the agent said, “I don’t think it’ll be the next few days.”

Buckle up. This might be a while.

In the meantime, SI’s NBA team will be updating you with all the latest news and rumors around the biggest free agents available and any stars who might still be on the trade block. We can only hope the free-agency madness continues.

NBA free agency tracker: live updates on major deals

Key dates for the 2026 NBA offseason after free agency moratorium

July 6, 12:01 p.m. ET: NBA teams permitted to begin signing free agents.

July 3–19: NBA Summer League (July 3, 5–6 in San Francisco; July 4–6 in Sacramento; July 4, 6–7 in Salt Lake City; July 9–19 in Las Vegas)

October 9: First confirmed preseason game (Rockets vs. Mavericks in Macau)

Late October: Regular season begins

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