Report: Cavs and Warriors Not Interested in Trading for Davis; James More Likely to Join Heat as Giannis and Adebayo Lobby Constantly

On July 23, Beijing time, NBA insider Ashish Mathur reported that the Cavaliers and Warriors have no intention of trading for Anthony Davis from the Wizards, making LeBron James a more probable addition to the Miami Heat. During his tenure with the Heat from 2010 to 2014, James captured two MVPs, two championships, and two Finals MVPs, while also being named to four All-Star and All-NBA teams.

Sources say that Heat forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo have been recruiting James all summer. If he signs with Miami, James could play golf year-round and also avoid state income tax.

"The Klutch agency wanted to send Davis to the Cavaliers or Warriors," a source said, "but neither team is interested. Now the Heat are the frontrunners, with Giannis and Adebayo constantly lobbying LeBron."

Davis previously played alongside James with the Lakers and will become eligible for a contract extension on August 6. Sources say that neither the Warriors nor the Cavaliers are willing to offer Davis a max contract, making a trade difficult to finalize.

According to reports, Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group initially believed it would be "easy" to convince the Cavaliers or Warriors to acquire Davis via trade. With that plan now stalled, the Heat have emerged as the top favorite to sign James. Miami does not need to be involved in a Davis trade, as they already have core players like Giannis, Adebayo, and Wiggins, along with solid role players such as Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis, and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has a close personal relationship with James, and team president Pat Riley has also mended fences with him. When James left the Heat to return to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2014, Riley was displeased, but the past has been put aside.

"The fact that Riley is willing to discuss this on a podcast shows he believes LeBron's return to Miami is possible," a source told the Dallas Basketball Journal. "I haven't seen Riley speak publicly in a long time; he usually only gives one interview after the season."

Since entering the NBA in 2003, James has accumulated four regular-season MVPs, four championships, and four Finals MVPs. The future Hall of Famer holds the league's all-time records for total points, field goals made, minutes played, and games played, and many consider him the greatest player in NBA history.

James is also the only player in NBA history to rank in the top five in both total points and total assists. In his regular-season career, he averages 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists; in the playoffs, he averages 28.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, having played for the Cavaliers, Heat, and Lakers. He won championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013, led the Cavaliers to the title in 2016, and teamed up with the Lakers to win in 2020.

James has been selected to the All-Star Game 22 times and is the only player to win Finals MVP with three different teams. Last season, he played 60 regular-season games for the Lakers, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. In the 2026 playoffs, the elite forward appeared in 10 games against the Rockets and Thunder, averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

James has been named to the All-NBA Team 21 times. Despite being the oldest active player in the league, he remains at an elite level, which is why many teams want to sign him. The sports legend will turn 42 in December, and it will be exciting to see which team he plays for next season.