CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - NBA writer Kevin O’Connor says there’s a good reason the LeBron James decision is taking so long.
Sources believe LeBron James is slow-playing his decision to see if any of his suitors can find a way to land Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving. The problem is that AD and Kyrie don't seem available for trade. More on LeBron's choices on @YahooSports: https://t.co/qYVdDqQQ4z
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) July 22, 2026
James became an unrestricted free agent July 6.
Davis has 2 years and $120 million left on his Wizards contract (year 2 is a player option); he and James won a championship with the Lakers in 2020.
Irving has the same structure on his contract: one year and then a player option for $81 million combined.
Cleveland has still not announced a new deal for James Harden, who opted out of his $42 million player option in hopes of landing a longer contract with Cleveland.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.