New LeBron James Rumors Reveal Teams Viewed as Top Potential Landing Spots in NBA Free Agency

As the NBA world continues to wait for LeBron James to make a decision about his future, three teams have reportedly emerged as the most prominent contenders.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are starting to stand out.

"When I talk to teams around the league and when I do my research, the teams that continue to come up are Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia," he said. 

"… When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research and I found out within 24 hours, he's taking their pitch really seriously. When I talk to teams now it's kind of a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia. And then I think there are some teams on the periphery."

There is nothing new or surprising about the Cavaliers and Heat being included as the top landing spots.

In fact, Charania previously reported those two and the Golden State Warriors were the three that "stood out during this process." However, ESPN's Anthony Slater reported the Warriors "don't necessarily believe that they're at the top" of James' shortlist.

That could open the door for a team such as the 76ers to make a push as a contender alongside the Heat and Cavaliers.

Charania's latest reporting makes it clear Philadelphia's acquisition of Brown may have changed the equation for James. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Brown and VJ Edgecombe, the 76ers are starting to look like legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Adding a veteran leader like James who could play on the wing alongside Brown and Edgecombe would only elevate the ceiling for a team that is win-now mode.

Yet there is a history with the Cavaliers and Heat the 76ers would have to overcome.

He won two championships with Miami and is most closely associated with Cleveland as someone who is from Ohio and was drafted by his home-state team. He also helped lead the Cavaliers to their only championship in franchise history during the 2015-16 campaign.

Finishing his career with the same team he started with would be a full-circle moment, and NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported Cleveland is the "scenario to beat."

Still, the 76ers can make a convincing case.