LeBron James has become the biggest prize of the offseason, and the race for his future keeps growing. It began with the Golden State Warriors before the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers entered the conversation. Since then, contenders from both conferences have continued to fuel the speculation. Now, a surprising new franchise is emerging as the latest name in the chase for the King’s services.
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The 4-time MVP has yet to clear his stance on the ongoing speculations. However, pickleball star Anna Leigh Waters gave an interesting insight to USA TODAY at the 2026 ESPYS. According to Waters, the Portland Trail Blazers, under Tom Dundon’s leadership, are pursuing James.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I know the owner of the professional pickleball league just bought the Portland basketball team, the Trail Blazers, and I know he’s trying to get (James), so we’ll see if that happens.”
Waters did not reveal whether Portland had made an offer or contacted LeBron’s camp. She also shared no details about how the team could make such a move happen. Meanwhile, her intel somewhat makes sense. To begin with, the new Trail Blazers owner has invested heavily in professional pickleball.
He owns part of the Professional Pickleball Association and remains a majority shareholder in Pickleball Inc., the parent company behind the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. In fact, LeBron also has ties to pickleball. In 2022, he joined an ownership group in MLP with Draymond Green, Kevin Love, Maverick Carter, and other investors.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 03: Los Angeles Lakers Forward LeBron James 6 walks by head coach Frank Vogel during a NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 3, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire NBA: MAR 03 Lakers at Clippers Icon220303029
On the other hand, Tom Dundon acquired the Blazers for approximately $4.25 billion in March, and since then, he has turned heads around the league. Since he arrived in Portland, Dundon has taken strict measures to keep everything under his watch and control. He enforced strict cost-cutting measures during the 2026 playoffs.
He also pushed for public support to fund the Moda Center’s $600 million renovation. That’s not all, according to the Trail Blazers’ new head coach, Micah Nori, “As far as to work with him on the X’s and O’s of basketball side, he has questions. He just wants to know why.”
Therefore, LeBron James’ free agency is making the 54-year-old ambitious. He seems to be looking forward to adding the title winner alongside Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, and Ja Morant. This again would mean that Portland will be in a direct fight with the Warriors, 76ers, Heat, Cavaliers, and the Timberwolves.
However, the Trail Blazers front office hasn’t identified itself as a primary landing spot for the King. At the same time, given their roster for the next season, Portland doesn’t seem like a bad destination for James. But if the market plays a role in LeBron’s decision, then the franchise will lose its bid because of its place in the small market, along with teams like the Memphis Grizzlies.
Meanwhile, others continue to offer their own predictions. Olympic gymnast Suni Lee believes LeBron James could land with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a state she knows well after attending school in St. Paul. Meanwhile, magician Oz Pearlman expects the NBA icon to complete a homecoming by returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.