SI:AM | All Eyes on LeBron James as NBA Free Agency Begins

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I really don’t think anyone is going to beat France at the World Cup.

In today’s SI:AM: 👋 LeBron moves on 🇺🇸 USMNT’s next challenge 🎾 Serena’s short-lived comeback

If you’re reading this on SI.com, click here to subscribe and receive SI:AM directly in your inbox each morning.

The Decision 4.0

While the NBA’s free agency period didn’t open until 6 p.m. ET yesterday, the frenzy unofficially began earlier in the afternoon when ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that LeBron James had informed the Lakers he plans to play elsewhere next season.

James’s search for a new home alters what had been shaping up to be a pretty bland free agency period. Sure, there have been a few blockbuster trades (Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat, Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers and Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors), and we’re still waiting to see if the Celtics will move Jaylen Brown, but the list of free agents is uninspiring.

At 41, LeBron isn’t necessarily the best player on the market, but he is certainly the most high-profile, and his decision is a massive one. Where he chooses to sign in the coming days will be a major part of the story of his career. In all likelihood, he’s choosing where he’ll play his final game and what the lasting image of arguably the greatest player ever will be. But this is far from a ceremonial decision. He’s not the game-changing force he once was, but he’s still capable of being a critical piece of a winning team, and whichever team signs him will be hoping he can help lead them to a championship. At the same time, James is surely looking to win a fifth ring to close the gap with Michael Jordan.

Several potential landing spots for James would make sense. The strongest rumors in recent days have linked him to the Warriors. Draymond Green declined his $27 million player option on Monday, which freed up salary cap space for Golden State to pursue James. The Warriors have long been interested in adding James, particularly after he won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics with Stephen Curry. The Warriors’ pursuit of James got a little trickier when they used some of that cap space to re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis later on Monday, but they can still make the math work.

Teaming up with Curry would be a fascinating way for James to end his career. Two players who have defined this era of the NBA and who were on opposite sides of one of the league’s great rivalries. But it’s not the only narratively compelling option. Sixteen years after “The Decision,” James could choose to go back to Miami and join the revamped Heat.

The most poetic option would be for James to go back to Cleveland, finishing his career in his home state with the franchise that he resuscitated more than two decades ago. It wouldn’t be a pure nostalgia play, either. With Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, the Cavs have the foundation of an Eastern Conference contender. Cleveland does need one more piece, though. The Cavs rolled the dice at the trade deadline in swapping Darius Garland for James Harden, but that move proved insufficient. Harden’s poor play in the playoffs—particularly on defense in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ historic conference finals comeback—cost them. (Harden is a free agent.) They need another scoring threat, and James could be the answer.

There’s also the possibility that James picks a less obvious landing spot. Would he want to swap one L.A. jersey for another and play for the Clippers? He wouldn’t have to move, and his old buddy, Tyronn Lue, is the coach. Would he want to formally pass the torch to Victor Wembanyama by joining him with the Spurs? Would he want to join an iconic franchise like the Celtics, or play home games in the World’s Most Famous Arena with the Knicks? Maybe he wants to sign with the Hornets so he can play golf at Pinehurst on his off days. It’ll be a lot of fun to debate the possibilities in the coming days—way more fun than just waiting to see where Jalen Duren signs.

The best of Sports Illustrated

Serena Williams waves to the crowd — Serena Williams had a respectable showing in her Wimbledon return, even if she didn’t win. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bryan Fischer: To Make World Cup History, the USMNT First Has to Overcome It
Chris Mannix: Chris Mannix’s NBA Notes: Could LeBron James’s Next Team Include Anthony Davis?
Sophia Vesely: How the USMNT Plans to Defeat Bosnia & Herzegovina
Jon Wertheim: Serena Williams Didn’t Win in Wimbledon Return. But She Didn’t Lose Either
Roberto Casillas: Mexico Didn’t Just Beat Ecuador, It Ended a 40-Year Curse That Had Defined It
Emma Baccellieri: Sabrina Ionescu Is Back in Business As Liberty Win WNBA Commissioner’s Cup
Bryan Fischer: Why North Dakota State Joined the Mountain West and Made the Jump to FBS

The top five…

… things I saw yesterday:
5. A classic blunder by Guardians outfielder Cooper Ingle, who threw the ball into the stands after recording the second out of the inning, allowing the Rangers to take a 3–2 lead in the seventh. (Ingle was charged with an error.)
4. Sabrina Ionescu’s long-range three to seal the Liberty’s Commissioner’s Cup win over the Aces.
3. Antonio Nusa’s beautifully curled shot for Norway’s first goal.
2. Norwegian goalie Ørjan Nyland’s big save in stoppage time to preserve his team’s victory.
1. Amad Diallo’s unbelievable individual effort for Côte d’Ivoire’s lone goal against Norway.

Add us as a preferred source on Google