Boston Celtics
Tatum and Stevens weren’t one of the biggest landing spots for James, but they got some recognition from Paul.
LeBron James could be intrigued about the idea of playing with Jayson Tatum this season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
LeBron James is officially mulling his options for his next — and likely final — NBA team this offseason.
After letting the Lakers know he’s preparing to move on from them after eight seasons, the future Hall of Famer will likely have his pick of contending franchises to choose from as he searches for a fifth NBA Championship ring.
Rich Paul, James’s longtime business partner, made a podcast appearance and laid out some broad thoughts on where James may land in free agency. Even though Paul’s comments are speculation, his close relationship with James gives some credibility to those opinions.
The Celtics did appear on Paul’s board as a possible destination for James. More specifically, Paul wrote “Brad + Tatum” on the whiteboard in reference to Boston.
Stevens and Tatum weren’t listed in the first bubble of four teams that would seem to be the favorites to land James. Those four: Philadelphia, Miami, Denver, and Minnesota.
For those four destinations, he listed the key players that LeBron would fit in well with. In the case of the 76ers, that also included former Celtic Jaylen Brown.
Well this is the craziest thing to wake up to…
Max Kellerman & Rich Paul break down why LeBron is seriously considering joining the Philadelphia 76ers… Listen to every word he says. Absolutely fascinating & honestly cannot believe this is our reality. We have a real chance. pic.twitter.com/61doExaHh1
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) July 3, 2026
Boston didn’t get that top-tier treatment, indicating a move there would be less likely for James. But the chance to play with Tatum can’t be ruled out. The duo played together previously for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics.
If James did join the Celtics, he’d likely operate in a point-forward role, facilitating the offense from the three or four spot on the floor. A starting lineup of Derrick White, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Tatum, and James would be filled with star power, and Boston would immediately be an Eastern Conference contender once again.
Whether its James or elsewhere, Boston will likely need to make another addition or two to its roster this offseason. It already added Robinson, as well as Mike Conley Jr. early in the free agency window, and George via the Brown trade. So Stevens is certainly living up to his promise of being aggressive to retool Boston’s roster and bring it back to the NBA Finals.
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