A surprising report in the Heat's LeBron James pursuit
The NBA world is on hold awaiting the decision of LeBron James. James has declared he is not going to return to the Los Angeles Lakers and will play this next season with a different team. The four most mentioned teams are the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors.
Though these four have been the most mentioned, James's former teams, the Heat and Cavaliers have seemed to be gaining steam as the front runners. The recent thought has been that he will ultimately end up with the Cavaliers for a story book ending to his career, but that notion could be changing.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst has shaken up the James discussion by dropping some very interesting information.
"I'm hearing stuff in other cities too. I'm not gonna say who but I had somebody on the phone with me today that I consider a good source who was swearing it's a done deal in another city"
Brian Windhorst says he's hearing that LeBron signing with a team other than Cleveland is a done deal.
- NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 10, 2026
"I'm hearing stuff in other cities too. I'm not gonna say who but I had somebody on the phone with me today that I consider a good source who was swearing it's a done deal in… pic.twitter.com/JKIboKqN2J
What this means for the Heat's chances to land James
Windhorst hearing this is interesting, but it does not mean James will not end up in Cleveland once it is all said and done. It also does not mean that James will sign with the Heat, as the team was not revealed. So, should this even be considered for good news?
Yes, because the reason this is good news is that it means it is not a forgone conclusion that James will return to his home state for this next season. That means the race for James is in full swing.
When you consider Windhorst's career, it opens up how this news could be significant. It is common knowledge that Windhorst is well connected in the Cavaliers circle. So, for fact he is comfortable enough to say this on record, let alone on ESPN Cleveland Radio shows, means that the Heat still have a chance.
The case for Miami
The Heat have a compelling case for LeBron James to consider. First, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo who would pair incredibly with James, especially in transition where both excel. James would also not have to be relied on defensively as the Heat already have a roster full of defenders. Then the Heat are lacking playmaking, and well James might be better at that than anyone to ever touch a basketball. Maybe these reasons are why many people are starting to shift their tune about James in Miami.
These are just a few of the reasons it makes sense for The King to return to where he won his first two NBA titles. The Heat just have to hope it is enough to entice James to pull the trigger and make the Heat the capital of the basketball world once again.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as A surprising report in the Heat's LeBron James pursuit .
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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 7:00 AM.