LeBron James’ free agent decision even has the NBA schedule stuck in a holding pattern.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver admitted Thursday that the league has to wait for James’ decision before making some key decisions regarding the regular season schedule. The league wants James and his team spotlighted for key dates, but things cannot be scheduled that way without knowing where he will actually be playing.
“Where LeBron plays will affect the schedule,” Silver admitted as part of the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit on Thursday. “So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision. And, but the direct answer is, I have no inside information.”
The teams James seems to be considering are all contenders, so they might be playing anyway on dates like Christmas. Matchups will matter, though, as the league will want the best storylines.
The 76ers, Heat, and Cavaliers are thought to be among the main suitors to sign James. He has yet to tip anyone off publicly about his decision, no matter how many hints he at least seems to be giving.
