Shams Charania’s latest LeBron James update did not include Denver, and that omission may say plenty.
On NBA Today, Charania said James and Rich Paul are still sorting through the “leading contenders,” with teams that have been pitching Paul over the last week. The list he gave included Golden State, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and Minnesota.
“[James and Rich Paul are] continuing to sift through the leading contenders, the different options, the different teams that have been pitching Rich Paul over the last week… that includes Golden State, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Minnesota.”
. @ShamsCharania says LeBron's top three teams appear to be the Cavs, Heat and Sixers 👀 pic.twitter.com/D0WUDY3N1h
- NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 8, 2026
There are two ways to read that. One is pretty harmless: Charania was simply rattling off teams in the mix and didn’t mean to give a complete inventory. The other is a lot more ominous for Nuggets fans - that Denver is no longer part of the conversation at all.
That would be a letdown after the idea had started to gain real traction. Rich Paul’s now-infamous whiteboard had put the Nuggets in the inner circle, and James’ friendship with Josh Kroenke helped fuel the belief that this wasn’t just fantasy.
It also fit with earlier reporting that Denver might be willing to keep its roster together and even go into the second apron while working through negotiations with another Klutch client, Peyton Watson. But there’s always the possibility that the LeBron chatter was being used more as leverage than as a true roadmap, a way for Paul to stir interest and keep the league talking.
That’s not exactly a wild theory. And if that’s the case, then James may already have his mind made up and could end his career where it began, in Cleveland.
The cleanest basketball fit would still be Denver, with James as the third piece alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. But it always felt like a long shot, and Charania’s latest update only makes that feel more true.
If the Nuggets are still in the mix, they should keep pushing. But they also can’t let the LeBron chase swallow the rest of their summer. They need to stay focused on their own business, even if they keep one eye on James.
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