It’s pretty obvious that one of the big names on the NBA free agency board right now is LeBron James, who will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season.
There has been a ton of speculation on where James will go next. One NBA analyst, though, thinks he’s going to be playing in the Eastern Conference in the 2026-27 NBA season.
NBA Analyst Thinks LeBron James Should Return to Heat
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s NBA channel, ESPN NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill seemed to think that James should return to South Florida.
Vince Goodwill says if LeBron is serious about winning, he’ll go to Miami:
“I’ve been saying Miami from the very, very beginning. Once Miami was on the list, once they got Giannis and you still have Bam there, Bobby Portis who’ll be a stretch 4/5. Then you go get THJ, one of the… pic.twitter.com/hgMtDywqzK
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 5, 2026
“I’ve been saying Miami from the very, very beginning,” Goodwill said. “Once Miami was on the list, once they got Giannis and you still have Bam there, Bobby Portis who’ll be a stretch 4/5. Then you go get THJ, one of the best 6th man’s in the league.
“They know how to build a team,” Goodwill continued. “If I’m LeBron James and I’m serious about winning, then that’s the place. Especially in the Eastern Conference.”
After playing his first NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James first joined the Heat organization back in the 2010-11 season. He, along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, led Miami to two NBA championships in his four seasons with the Heat. In both of those NBA Finals, James also won NBA Finals MVP titles.
James, though, left Miami to go back to the Cavaliers for four more seasons. He also led the Cavaliers to an NBA championship in his second tenure. In eight seasons with the Lakers, James played a role in helping the organization with an NBA title in 2020.
Some NBA purists might look down on that NBA championship since came when the NBA was in its “bubble” due to COVID-19 that suspended some games in the regular season. Still, that marked the Lakers’ 17th NBA title, tying the franchise with the Boston Celtics for most in NBA history at the time. The Celtics then won their 18th in 2024, beating the Dallas Mavericks.
In his final season with the Lakers, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He also shot 51.5% from the floor and 31.7% from beyond the 3-point arc.
It will be interesting to see where James decides to go. It’s clear that the decision will be his. Rich Paul has mentioned that James will not be announcing his decision anytime soon in the coming days, but it’s certain that it’ll make waves across the world when he does.
