Rich Paul: LeBron Would Have Joined Knicks If Not for Title Win

For the fourth time in his 23-season career, LeBron James is hitting the open market. And this time, his agent happens to have a podcast.

As such, it was only natural that Rich Paul would address his most famous client’s free agency during the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul. But as he used a whiteboard to dissect James’s potential destinations, he also revealed that the visual aid wouldn’t have been necessary had this past NBA postseason played out differently.

“If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board,” Paul said. “He’d be going to the Knicks.”

That’s not to say New York is now out of contention; Paul also revealed the Knicks have checked in on his star client’s availability. 

Still, Paul called attention to the scrutiny James would inevitably face if he joined the reigning NBA champions, especially if New York was unable to repeat with him on the roster.

“When LeBron comes onto your team, I don’t care if you just won a championship, I don’t care if you’ve been the best player—it’s different, man,” Paul said. “Jalen Brunson would have to literally pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey man, it’s no issue with me. It’s no issue with me.’ I’m not saying that would make his decision, but you’ve gotta respect that.”

As for the rest of Paul’s whiteboard, the 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat, Timberwolves, and Nuggets stand out as the likeliest options, with the Warriors, Celtics, Spurs, Mavericks, and Knicks also listed as potential candidates.

Among the top candidates, Paul noted Philadelphia’s acquisition of Jaylen Brown from the Celtics. Asked by Kellerman if the 76ers have James’s attention, Paul replied, “How could you not have the attention when you have [Tyrese] Maxey, [V.J.] Edgecombe, Brown, and [Joel] Embiid?” The NBA superagent also pointed to James’s relationship with Philadelphia’s new president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey, whom he played against in high school and worked with during his previous stint in Cleveland.

Speaking of the Cavs—currently favored to land the latest LeBron sweepstakes on prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket—Paul highlighted Cleveland’s roster and the Akron, Ohio, native’s familiarity with the organization’s ownership and front office. In particular, he singled out Cavs assistant general manager Brandon Weems as a “brother” to James.

As for the drawbacks of a third stint in Cleveland, Paul noted the team’s decision to trade Darius Garland, who is also represented by Klutch and is a player James would have loved to join.

“He loves Garland like he loves Tyrese Maxey,” Paul said.

As for the other primary candidates, Paul praised the Heat’s acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Timberwolves trading for LaMelo Ball, and a potential James-Nikola Jokic pairing in Denver. 

Kellerman questioned if Paul was trying to throw the public off the Warriors’ scent by only listing them as a fringe candidate for James’s services, considering that they had previously been viewed as one of the frontrunners.

Paul was cagey. “You can think whatever you think,” Paul said. “This is my board. You decide what you want to think.”

Paul also hinted that James’s upcoming 24th season may not necessarily be the last in his storied NBA career. As for a timeline for his current free agency, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that James and Paul are still in “fact-finding mode” and will continue their conversations about his options in the coming days.