What's Next for Every LeBron James Suitor After 76ers Signing?

LeBron James sent shockwaves throughout the NBA by revealing that he plans to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Nobody is more impacted by his latest decision than the suitors he spurned.

Sure, the Sixers will certainly feel the weight of the four-time MVP's arrival. Yet, as much as they wanted someone to sponge up forward minutes, they're the finalist who was least desperate for his services.

The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers all needed him more.

This raises the question: With few assets, limited spending power and the bulk of the Association's offseason business now wrapped up, where do they all go from here?

Cleveland Cavaliers

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

The Path Forward: Re-sign James Harden and then quadruple down by trading for an impact wing.

Try hard enough, and you can convince yourself the Cavs didn't really need LeBron James. They have plenty of offensive firepower; he isn't a defensive lifeline; and he probably shouldn't be spending too much time at the 3 as part of dual-big lineups.

At the same time, after watching their Eastern Conference Finals meltdown, the "they have plenty of offensive power" party line loses luster. And having LeBron on the wing—while playing on a minimum contract—sure beats not having him when the Cavs already watched Dean Wade bolt for James' new team.

Re-signing James Harden has always been a given. Cleveland could still use another ball-handler (like LeBron!) given how much Donovan Mitchell struggled to run the offense solo. But deepening a wing rotation whose best defender is currently sophomore Jaylon Tyson must take priority.

Jonathan Kuminga is not the answer. If he's willing to play for peanuts, then by all means, the Cavs can consider rolling the dice. He'll strengthen their on-ball comfort a notch or two. But he does nothing to help secondary table-setting, wing defense or even rebounding.

Now is not the time for Cleveland to penny-pinch assets. Even if Harden's new contract puts them in the second apron, the Cavs have sizable contracts to use as standalone matching salaries in trades—along with the ability to trade first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 should they need it. Herb Jones, Naji Marshall, Derrick Jones Jr., Justin Champagnie and Max Christie are just a sampling of names that should be on their radar.

Golden State Warriors

Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images

The Path Forward: Re-sign Draymond Green and De'Anthony Melton, extend Stephen Curry and pretend to aggressively work the trade market.

Missing out on a big name they could only sign or trade for at a discounted price has become a Warriors offseason rite of passage. If we are being brutally honest, losing the LeBron James sweepstakes will result in more of the same.

Golden State will re-sign Draymond Green. Probably De'Anthony Melton, too. Stephen Curry is eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million extension as of Aug. 29. The Warriors will give it to him.

Then, from there, the Warriors will do absolutely nothing. Because when you have the chance to run back virtually the same roster that won 37 games last season and likely won't have Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody back before the calendar flips to 2027, you absolutely have to pounce on it.

To be sure, Golden State is not dealing with a ton of flexibility. It does not have the room to re-sign Green for anything approaching market value and use the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Still, the Warriors have the bandwidth to do more than cross their fingers that they can purchase cheap tickets to a Bradley Beal renaissance.

With the exception of 2030, they control all of their own first-round picks moving forward. And even the 2030 selection is under top-20 protection. They can still trade the juicier end of it. Salaries for Butler ($56.8 million), Moody ($12.5 million) and Brandin Podziemski ($5.7 million) give them plenty of different trade structures to explore.

Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Aaron Gordon, Kevin Durant, Ryan Rollins, Derrick White and Michael Porter Jr. are just some of the names worth checking in on. Really, anything that suggests the Warriors are committed to doing more than the bare minimum to optimize what's left of Steph's window would suffice.

Miami Heat

Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

The Path Forward: Cross their fingers that more ball-handling/playmaking falls into their lap.

Is that Bradley Beal's music? Or is it actually DeMar DeRozan's tune?

Those are the two clear-cut Heat contingencies after missing out on LeBron James. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade didn't leave them with nearly enough ball-handling and passing. Too much is currently on the shoulders of Pelle Larsson and Davion Mitchell, not to mention Giannis himself.

Additional spacing also works its way onto the list. The half-court offense will get clunky when Andrew Wiggins is playing the 3 if Larsson and/or Mitchell aren't making jumpers. (To his credit, Mitchell has shot well from deep since arriving in Miami.)

While the Pat Riley-led front office can't offer more than first-round swaps to sweeten prospective packages, the team does have some financial runway and suitably sized matching salaries. Dealing the Nikola Jović contract will be a bear, but Bobby Portis' pact (two years, $30.1 million) isn't immovable. Wiggins' extension also doesn't prevent him from being shipped out.

Dejounte Murray would be an interesting name, but only if Miami can keep Wiggins. The Heat could technically get to Kyrie Irving's money, but would the Dallas Mavericks view Wiggins, Mitchell and swaps as enough baseline compensation? Shaedon Sharpe seems scheduled to collect dust in Portland next season. Maybe Miami thinks he has unexplored table-setting chops.

Zach LaVine is on the table if 1) the Kings take back Jović as part of a larger package and 2) the Heat are cool with consolidating multiple players amid an ongoing depth crisis. Malik Monk would be another option.

Perhaps the new Chicago Bulls front office wants out of the Josh Giddey business. At this rate, the Heat might be rooting for a Klay Thompson buyout. Rumor has it the Memphis Grizzlies have a D'Angelo Russell to spare. Are they also willing to sell low on Ty Jerome?

Yours truly rambling through his keyboard aloud is a good indicator of where Miami sits post-LeBron decision: in playmaking, shooting and overall-depth accumulation mode by any (reasonable) means necessary.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

The Path Forward: Attempt to turn Josh Green into a forward.

Minnesota already made its home-run swings with the LaMelo trade and Ayo Dosunmu signing. But unless it plans to treat Jaden McDaniels as a de facto 4 indefinitely, there's a LeBron James player-sized void in the rotation.

Free agency won't meaningfully fill that hole. The Timberwolves do not have enough room beneath the second apron to use the full $6.1 million mini mid-level. Even if that changes, the open-market pickings are slim.

Entering the Jonathan Kuminga rehabilitation business is too much of a risk while attempting to integrate LaMelo. The former doesn't provide enough defense anyway. A Peyton Watson sign-and-trade is out of the question. Draymond Green wouldn't be welcome in Minnesota/within 30 miles of Rudy Gobert's locker even if he were willing to play for a cut above the minimum.

Using Josh Green's $14.7 million expiring contract on a truer wing or combo forward is the way to go. The Wolves can up the ante by attaching Donte DiVincenzo's $12.5 million salary as well, though it probably makes more sense to hold onto him since they'd be trading him at the nadir of his value while he recovers from a torn Achilles.

Barren of any draft sweeteners and unlikely to move Joan Beringer, Minnesota can't set its sights too high. Dorian Finney-Smith could be a good target if he's healthy and the Wolves rope in a third team. Ditto for Grant Williams.

The Wolves could get to Herb Jones' money, but Green and Terrence Shannon Jr. probably aren't enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to bite. Derrick Jones Jr., Naji Marshall and Saddiq Bey are worth a flier, but they could also be out of Minny's asset range.

The same might go for Justin Champagnie. And if that's the case, the Wolves should be shopping for dice rolls like Ryan Dunn, Haywood Highsmith, Royce O'Neale, Taurean Prince, a Josh Minott reunion, etc.

---

Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.