Nuggets Confirmed to Be on LeBron James' Short List in Free Agency

The Denver Nuggets are confirmed to be a realistic destination for LeBron James.

May 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The talk of NBA free agency has been centered around future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James. The 41-year-old superstar is officially leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, and everyone wants to know where he will end up.

Naturally, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have been viewed as the frontrunners to land James, but the Denver Nuggets could be a landing spot for the legendary forward. Sure, it would be surprising to see James play in the Mile High City for what might be his final year or two in the NBA, but it makes more sense than people would initially think.

On the most recent episode of the Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, James' long-time agent revealed a list of realistic destinations for his superstar client. On that list were the Nuggets, along with several other teams, including the Warriors, Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and more.

Rich Paul’s white board for LeBron’s next team with realistic destinations 👀

(Via Game Over) pic.twitter.com/uCNLVFLa2O

— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026

When Kellerman asked if Denver is a legitimate destination, Paul responded by saying, "it wouldn't be on the board [if not]." The Nuggets are undoubtedly a realistic landing spot for James, and Paul has confirmed it.

What Rich Paul said about the Nuggets

Of course, the idea of James and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic playing together has been very exciting for fans to talk about, as they are two of the greatest basketball minds in league history. Still, the Nuggets would need the right pieces around them to compete for a championship. Paul talked more about what his fit in Denver would actually look like:

"Let's get over here to the Mile High. [Jamal] Murray, [Cameron] Johnson, [Aaron] Gordon, [Nikola] Jokic. You've got one big hurdle: you've still got Peyton Watson, who's a restricted free agent. Kroenke family, we're close to. He's won in everything," he said.

James' connection with Josh Kroenke seems to already be playing a factor. The two have a long-standing relationship, to the point where Kroenke tried to get James to sign with the Nuggets the last time he was a free agent in 2018.

From 2018: LeBron on Josh Kroenke and how the Nuggets owner tried to recruit him to Denver

"The owner of the team is a very dear friend of mine, so he discussed it a couple times to me."

"He sent me the (rainbow skyline jersey). He said, 'You'll look good in one of these.'" https://t.co/zJyoZpkhsK pic.twitter.com/BZ3B3wKqOY

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) July 1, 2026

The Nuggets undoubtedly have a suitable roster for James, and while it might not mean anything, we can take a closer look at how Paul's board is configured. The Nuggets, 76ers, Heat, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers are all highlighted in this inner circle, where Paul has written out the cores of each team. Then, the other teams listed are all in an outer circle with much more subtle notes.

The only "inner circle" teams with secondary notes are the Nuggets, where Paul simply noted, "Kroenke," and the Cavaliers, where he had a few things to say about that potential landing spot.

Granted, the actual workings of Paul's chart might not mean anything, but if the Nuggets are actually one of these top-five destinations for James, these talks might be more serious than we initially thought.

Kelllerman's pitch to Paul

While Paul did not have much to say about the possibility of James playing in Denver, his co-host, Max Kellerman, did his best to pitch the idea.

Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Lebron James (6) and Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"The reason I would want to see that is in terms of basketball geniuses, to me, there are two that are different from everyone else in the game. There's LeBron and Jokic. If you just measured basketball IQ, Jokic's brain is in a different galaxy. ... He sees things nobody else sees. The only comparable guy to him is LeBron. That would be like watching, in terms of the IQ, if Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were on the same team," Kellerman said.

Granted, Kellerman did raise one red flag about the potential match. He brought up how a 42-year-old likely would not want to play in the "thin atmosphere" of Denver. However, Paul rebutted by saying, "this guy's in impeccable shape.

The duo of Jokic and James should be enough to make them think about Denver as a viable destination, and the connection with Kroenke only strengthens their case. Sure, it would be shocking if the Nuggets were James' most likely destination, but it is interesting to see them as a legitimate candidate.

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