Insider Reveals The One Team That LeBron James Would 'NEVER' Join

We're STILL waiting on LeBron James' decision. The Miami Heat seem to be the frontrunners at this point, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, then either the Golden State Warriors or Philadelphia 76ers, depending on who you talk to. 

But there's one team we KNOW that LeBron WON'T be going to. According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the one team that James would never join is the Boston Celtics.

“I think Boston would rank 30th on his list. I really do. He hates Boston.”

— @WindhorstESPN on LeBron’s free agency decision pic.twitter.com/vBnTQzy3L2

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 18, 2026

“I think Boston would rank 30th on his list. I really honestly do. He hates Boston,” Windhorst said on the Hoops Collective podcast this past weekend.

Fellow ESPN podcaster Dave McMenamin reported that James's agent Rich Paul told him that 27 of the 30 NBA teams had either contacted LeBron, or his camp had reached out to them. But it sounds like the Celtics were likely one of the three that weren't on that lengthy list.

But Windhorst's final summation of the situation is that he simply doesn't know right now where James is headed. Teams in the running have their head coaches and/or other staff members actually asking HIM what he thinks will happen. But he just can't give a definitive answer, except to say:

"Knowing his psychology, I would suspect that he's known for some time the direction that he is headed. But obviously the decision is not finalized yet."

As recently as Monday morning, Shams Charania said that all the information is in, but there is no timetable on a decision yet:

“There is no decision, no choice yet, no timetable on a choice as of yet,” - @ShamsCharania with the latest on LeBron James.

Shams says he talked to Rich Paul this morning. pic.twitter.com/iXuPl4rkhq

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 20, 2026

"...And we all continue to wait."