LeBron James Waiting on Cavs to Make the First Move, Says Kendrick Perkins
LeBron James is officially a free agent after informing the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, just hours before free agency opened, that he intends on coming back for a record 24th NBA season, just not with LA.
According to his agent Rich Paul, James told the Lakers front office they can move on without him as he searches for his new team.
The NBA world has gone wild with speculation since. Many believe he will inevitably end up teaming up with Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors. Others have floated the idea of a potential reunion with the Miami Heat after the franchise went all in to get Giannis Antetokounmpo. But another team has also been frequently mentioned, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the same organization that drafted him in 2003 and he won a championship with 13 years later.
On Wednesday’s episode of “NBA Today,” ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins said that he believes James wants to go back to Cleveland but is just waiting on the Cavaliers to make the first move.
“I’m playing golf here. I took a photo rubbing my feet together poolside. My family is down here. Now, Rich Paul is going to do his job of searching the market and seeing. But I feel like in my heart, LeBron James wants to be home,” Perkins said. “But he’s not going to be home if this roster is put together the way that it is with what we saw last year.”
“This is not coming from sources, this is my own personal feeling. I really feel this in my soul, that LeBron James is waiting to see if the Cavs are really going to do something so that he can say, I’m coming home, ” Perkins added.
More news: Toronto Just Brought Kawhi Leonard Back - There's Only One Thing Left to Do
Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James is willing to accept a minimum contract, worth around $3.8 million, to go to a contender. It was also revealed that James is “open to all pitches.”
Alongside possible reunions with the Cavs and Heat, or forming a superteam in Golden State with Curry, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are two other Western Conference contenders that have been mentioned.
More news: Ja Morant Had One Message for Blazers Coach Micah Nori After Blockbuster Trade
More news: Potential ‘Final Straw' for LeBron James Revealed After Lakers Decision
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, along with other analysts, have floated the possibility that the Cavs could be in the running for Jaylen Brown. A potential trade could be centered around Evan Mobley, or pieces like Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson, and draft picks.
If Cleveland can actually land the former Finals MVP, that might be enough to convince James to come home for one last ride alongside Brown, Donovan Mitchell, and James Harden.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 3:47 PM.