LeBron James is about as much of a free agent as Tim Duncan. Both N.B.A. players have the right to sign with any team that can fit them under its salary cap, but neither is expected to go anywhere.
The public-relations fiasco that would ensue if James, who recently opted out of the second year of his two-year contract, decided to spurn the Cleveland Cavaliers again would be so catastrophic that no amount of talent could erase it. So as he nurses his contract status along while waiting for the league’s next television contract, he should not be on any team’s wish list as a quick fix.