LeBron James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he intends to play his historic 24th NBA season elsewhere.
Now weeks later, The King has still yet to announce his highly-anticipated free agency decision.
On Wednesday night, NBA insider Kevin O’Connor reported that James could be “slow-playing” his decision to see if any of his potential suitors could land Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving.
“If a team proved capable of acquiring one of his championship teammates, sources say, it might sway him in that direction,” O’Connor reported.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania pushed back on O’Connor’s report during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Thursday.
“Now that we’re 20 days in, there’s nothing left. The teams are the teams. The information is the information. LeBron has everything he needs to make a decision,” Charania said. “My sources tell me that LeBron James, his agent Rich Paul — that inner circle. They’re not waiting for another domino right now. They’re not waiting for Anthony Davis to get traded anywhere, they’re not waiting for anyone else to move around anywhere.”
The Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers are considered the frontrunners to land James in free agency.
As consistently reiterated by Rich Paul, there’s currently no timetable for James’ ultimate decision.