Charania: Three teams are the frontrunners for LeBron James

The LeBron James situation continues to be fluid about a week into NBA free agency. Not too long ago, it was thought that the Los Angeles Lakers had the best chance of being the team he would play for next season, but that ship has sailed.

The Golden State Warriors emerged in recent weeks as perhaps the favorites to land James, or at least the team that seemed the most motivated to acquire the 41-year-old living legend in free agency. In recent days, the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have also emerged as possible suitors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat remain possible destinations.

Shams Charania of ESPN said that right now, the Cavaliers, Heat and 76ers are the frontrunners for James, and that James is taking the 76ers’ pitch “very seriously.”

“When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown I did some research and I found out within 24 hours, he is taking their pitch very seriously. I look at it when I talk to teams now as a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then I think there’s some teams on the periphery.”

“When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown I did some research and I found out within 24 hours, he is taking their pitch very seriously. I look at it when I talk to teams now as a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then I think there’s some teams on the periphery.”

The 76ers were already a good, potent team this past season, and they were able to upset the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs before getting swept in the next round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. Now, they’re acquiring Brown from the Celtics, and that will make them a team with legitimate championship aspirations if healthy.

James could step in there and have a real shot at what would be his fifth world title. But he would have to do so while playing a substantially diminished role, possibly as their fourth scoring option. He adjusted well to being the Lakers’ third scoring option this past season, but it is an open question whether he would be content taking a back seat offensively to more than one teammate moving forward.

The Heat, of course, are bringing in future Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they’re likely thinking they will have a real shot at getting to the NBA Finals, especially if James joins them. The Cavaliers, James’ first team, seem to make the most sense for him, at least from a sentimental standpoint.

According to The Stein Line, people around the league believe that a return to the Cavs for James is the “scenario to beat.”

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Charania: Three teams are the frontrunners for LeBron James