For the last two decades, LeBron James has carried the NBA on his back as the face of the league and one of the biggest stars across all sports. Through his highs and lows on the court, he rarely wavered as an ambassador for basketball and role model for future generations of players.
Now, as his career nears an end at 41 years old, he’s doing the NBA one last solid. He’s saving free agency.
Though the early NBA offseason has been full of player movement, the lack of teams with cap space, and the existence of a restrictive second salary apron, limited that excitement to pre-free agency trades. When it came to actual free agency, though, it was crickets. The biggest name to change teams was who, Norman Powell?
That is until James announced his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers.
Not only did he become the biggest fish in the free agency pond, he extended the window of the NBA’s relevance this offseason. We still have something to talk about. Especially with the way his agent, Rich Paul, has turned James’ free agency into podcast content.
Even on his way out, James is reinventing how we discuss the NBA.
If you would’ve told me James wasn’t returning to the Lakers two months ago, I would’ve assumed he was retiring. None of this was on the board. Not James reportedly being open to taking the minimum to sign with a team. Not an apparent open recruitment where 10 teams landed on a white board put together by Paul, and 76ers president Bob Myers made an open pitch on the podcast. And certainly not a top three that included James potentially returning to the Miami Heat — to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For James to still have this kind of gravity after 23 years is incredible. And it’s all in service of the NBA, which will benefit again during the season when James drives attention to whichever team he chooses. But fans better enjoy it while they can. Once James is off the board, stale NBA free agency periods could be the new normal going forward.
Darryn Peterson looks like a star
Darryn Peterson had No. 1 pick potential, so it’ll be no surprise if he turns out to be a star in the NBA. So far in Summer League play, he seems to be still on that trajectory.
DARRYN PETERSON IS LOOKING LIKE A STAR ALREADY đź‘€
The rook dropped 25 points and 12 assists vs. Memphis. pic.twitter.com/C14FQuf4LO
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 7, 2026
After putting up 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting in his debut against the Hawks, Peterson went for 25 points and 12 assists against the Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies.
He might be the real deal.
Shootaround
- The Lakers have renounced their rights to a smorgasborg of remember-some-guys all-stars.
- Peyton Watson may only have two realistic options in free agency, but plenty other teams would make sense as landing spots.
- DeMar DeRozan’s free agency also appears likely to come down to two options.
- The Indiana Fever have denied involvement in the congressional letter sent to the WNBA decrying alleged unfair treatment of Caitlin Clark.
This was Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LeBron James did the NBA one last solid before retiring. He saved free agency.
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