LeBron James’ free agency decision may be about much more than basketball

At some point, LeBron James will pick a team. Until then, everyone will keep trying to figure out what exactly is taking him so long.

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of ScoopB.com offered an interesting look at that question, reporting that there may be considerably more involved in James’ decision than rosters, championship odds and salary-cap gymnastics.

Namely, family. Robinson reports that there is no clear leader for James at the moment, with one source familiar with the situation telling him that every potential destination comes with advantages and drawbacks.

“There’s no lead,” the source told Robinson. “You can make an argument positively and negatively for every team that’s being considered. There’s no perfect scenario.”

That would certainly help explain why we’re approaching a month of LeBron free agency without much indication of where this thing is headed.

Even James’ oldest son apparently doesn’t know. Bronny James was asked by TMZ about the possibility of his father joining the Warriors and responded, “I don’t know where he’s going. That’d be crazy if he did.”

Family could be a major consideration

As Robinson points out, LeBron’s family situation is different than it was during his previous free-agent decisions.

Bronny remains with the Lakers. Bryce James is playing at Arizona. And LeBron and wife Savannah’s youngest child, Zhuri, is 11 years old and has spent most of her childhood in Southern California.

That could make geography another factor in a decision that already has plenty of them.

“This man doesn’t owe anyone anything except his family,” a source told Robinson. “Whatever choice he makes, we gotta live with it.”

Golden State, for example, would allow James to remain in California while playing within a short flight of Los Angeles. A return to Cleveland would mean going back to his Northeast Ohio roots. Philadelphia or Miami would present an entirely different geographical equation.

None of that means James will choose his next team based primarily on where his family lives. But Robinson’s reporting suggests the decision shouldn’t be viewed strictly through a basketball lens.

And at 41, with three children and almost nothing left to prove professionally, that’s understandable.

Cavs remain compelling, but questions exist

As for the Cavaliers, Robinson reports what has been fairly obvious throughout the process: There are plenty of reasons for James to consider another Cleveland homecoming.

It’s home. He knows the organization. He remains close with Cavs executive Brandon Weems. And Cleveland is coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

“The pros and cons of Cleveland, the pro; we all know the pro,” a source told Robinson. “It’s home, decent roster, familiarity.”

But there is also the question that probably matters most on the basketball side. Can James win there?

“I think that team can be really competitive,” the source said. “I don’t know how many cons there are. I would be ecstatic if he went home.”

Robinson also reports that members of James’ inner circle weren’t thrilled with Cleveland’s decision to trade Darius Garland for James Harden, with some believing Donovan Mitchell might instead be the star who was moved.

Still, the Cavs have remained firmly in the James conversation throughout free agency.

Sixers would mean betting on Embiid

Philadelphia presents a different set of questions. The Sixers have star power, but much of their ceiling still depends on the health of Joel Embiid.

As one source put it to Robinson: “You’re basically betting on Joel Embiid. That’s a tough one. I’m not saying it’s a wrong bet, but you’ve got to be a really gambling man.”

Miami remains in the picture as well, with the Heat now featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo and James obviously having considerable history with the organization.

And yes, there was that accidental Heat YouTube livestream that sent the internet into hysterics.

But nearly a month into this process, there still doesn’t appear to be an obvious answer.

So what does LeBron actually want?

Perhaps this is where Robinson’s reporting is most instructive.

One source described James’ desired situation as one where teammates are pulling in the same direction, where he can enjoy coming to work, remain competitive every night and, health permitting, have a chance to make another run in April and May. That doesn’t necessarily mean championship-or-bust.

“There’s no expectation to win a championship anywhere,” a source told Robinson. “But you do want to be competitive.”

James’ agent, Rich Paul, meanwhile, told Robinson that his client remains “the undisputed face of the NBA.” Hard to argue that James isn’t still driving the conversation, anyway.

It’s July 23. He’s 41 years old. He’s entering his 24th NBA season. An entire basketball ecosystem is still dissecting comments from his son, studying social-media posts and trying to determine where he’s going.

Maybe there isn’t a hidden clue. Maybe there isn’t a secret transaction everyone is waiting to complete.

Maybe James is simply trying to make an enormously complicated decision involving basketball, geography, family and the final chapter of his career.

And maybe, as Robinson’s source put it, there really is “no perfect scenario.”