LeBron James decision ‘could be 48 seconds, could be 48 minutes,’ Rich Paul says

July 21, 2026

It’s been three weeks since LeBron James told the Lakers goodbye and entered free agency. How close is he to deciding on his next team?

“I don’t know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds (from now). It could be 48 minutes,” agent Rich Paul said on the Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman. “I don’t know. Again, you can’t make somebody know something that they don’t know.”

Paul is a lot of things on this podcast, from funny to direct to downright humble to all business. One thing he’s not, however, is overly informative. Nothing wrong with that. According to Paul, James is allowed to take his sweet time before announcing where he’s playing next.

“We’re not going to be rushed,” Paul told Kellerman. “We’re not going to be rushed. It’s his choice to make, and when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”

Sounds about right. But it’s not only team executives, coaches, players, agents and fans who want to know. No less than NBA commissioner Adam Silver half-joked that LeBron is holding up the 2026-27 schedule.

“I saw Adam in New York and we discussed it,” Paul said. “And like I said, it’s still (James’) choice. So if he doesn’t really know, you can’t rush it. You can’t rush it.”

It’s hard to believe James doesn’t actually know at this point — as Paul indicated that all offers are on the table and nothing more really needs to be said.

For the record, yes, the Cavaliers, 76ers, Warriors and Heat are still believed to be in the mix and have continued their pursuit of James, per ESPN.

“There’s been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?'” Paul said. “And my answer is, ‘No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.'”

Interestingly, none of the teams linked to James have made a single move over the past three weeks. Draymond Green (Warriors) and James Harden (Cavs) are even said to be holding off on signing their next contract until James’ decision becomes official.

Some fans and more than a few professional commentators have suggested LeBron and his camp are just keeping people waiting for the sake of it. Or to make a big spectacle. Paul denied that’s the case.

“I think it’s important for people to understand: We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle,” Paul said. “It’s not about a ‘Decision’ or anything like that. He has a choice to make. He has a business choice to make. We’re not going to sit here and decide or allow someone else to decide when he makes that decision. … It’s a business choice that he’s making. And I think as an athlete, why is it that an athlete has to rush his choice?

“It’s the lowest hanging fruit for when you don’t have the information. That’s just what it is.”