Ranking the Best LeBron Fits, and Matchmaking for the Remaining Free Agents. Plus, the Celtics Explain (?) the Brown Trade. | Group Chat

Summary of Ranking the Best LeBron Fits, and Matchmaking for the Remaining Free Agents. Plus, the Celtics Explain (?) the Brown Trade. | Group Chat

by The Ringer

1h 36m•July 6, 2026
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Overview of Group Chat by The Ringer

In this episode, Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and J. Kyle Mann split the show into two big NBA exercises: first, trying to make sense of Boston’s Jalen Brown trade and Brad Stevens’ explanation of it; then, ranking the best hypothetical landing spots for LeBron James and matching a handful of remaining free agents to the most sensible destinations. The throughline of the episode is roster-building under the new CBA: flexibility, cap pressure, and how teams are forced to choose between present-day talent and future optionality.

Celtics’ Brown Trade: What Boston Was Really Saying

The core explanation

  • The hosts mostly agreed that Boston’s public rationale was less about basketball decline and more about cap management under the new apron rules.
  • Brad Stevens’ repeated emphasis on “optionality” became the defining takeaway.
  • The idea: having two massive contracts consume so much of the cap makes it extremely hard to keep improving the roster over time.

Why the move still feels strange

  • The panel argued that Boston’s explanation is logically understandable, but the timing and return still feel awkward.
  • Even if the Celtics didn’t lose much in the short term, the move reads as a bet that they were unlikely to recreate their title-level infrastructure again.
  • There was skepticism that swapping one overpaid star-level contract for another overpaid contract truly solves the problem immediately.

Bigger roster-building lesson

  • The discussion framed this as a broader NBA trend:
    • teams are increasingly forced to choose between keeping expensive stars
    • or maintaining the flexibility to rebuild depth later
  • The Celtics’ decision was portrayed as a cold, CBA-driven choice rather than a purely basketball one.

Best LeBron James Fits: The Main Contenders

The hosts disagreed on exact rankings, but these were the teams most seriously discussed as LeBron destinations.

Golden State Warriors

  • Seen as one of the most realistic and narratively compelling options.
  • Pros:
    • LeBron + Steph Curry is a dream pairing
    • obvious star power and huge entertainment value
    • could ease the regular-season burden for both
  • Cons:
    • age, injury risk, and potential defensive fragility
    • fit could get clunky if too much creation falls on aging stars

Denver Nuggets

  • Arguably the most exciting pure basketball fit.
  • Pros:
    • LeBron with Nikola Jokić would create an absurd double-playmaking offense
    • Jokić/LeBron concepts were described as almost unmatched in NBA history
    • Denver already has enough talent to make LeBron’s role highly efficient
  • Cons:
    • frontcourt and lineup balance could get bulky
    • depends on health and roster maintenance

Philadelphia 76ers

  • One of the hosts’ favorite “fit” destinations.
  • Pros:
    • LeBron could function as a low-usage connector and unlock a ton of scoring talent
    • Tyrese Maxey + Joel Embiid + Jalen Brown + LeBron would be a staggering talent stack
    • could create one of the league’s best offenses if everyone scaled properly
  • Cons:
    • it may be too many mouths to feed
    • Embiid’s availability and LeBron’s role would both be complicated

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • The most emotionally resonant option.
  • Pros:
    • the narrative is huge: LeBron returning to the place where he built his legacy
    • would satisfy the “most human” possible free-agency outcome
  • Cons:
    • basketball fit is messy with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden-style ball dominance concerns
    • the defense would be vulnerable

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • The hosts loved this as a basketball idea.
  • Pros:
    • strong balance of offense and defense
    • Anthony Edwards + LeBron would be a compelling star pairing
    • Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and others would help absorb defensive responsibility
  • Cons:
    • LeBron may not want to spend his final year in a colder, less glamorous market
    • personalities and fit questions remain

Other notable mentions

  • Houston Rockets: intriguing because of Kevin Durant, young talent, and upside, but less plausible.
  • Miami Heat: acknowledged as a logical star fit, but too much would have to be sacrificed and it would require awkward role compromises.
  • New York Knicks: mostly dismissed because the team already has its own identity and, in the hosts’ view, doesn’t “need” LeBron.
  • Detroit Pistons / San Antonio Spurs: floated as interesting long-shot possibilities, especially for narrative reasons.

Remaining Free Agents and Matchmaking

Rui Hachimura to the Clippers

  • This move happened right before the recording and was treated as a solid, sensible signing.
  • The hosts liked it because:
    • he’s a reliable role player
    • he can shoot off stars
    • he helps a Clippers roster that needs solid, versatile contributors

Gary Payton II

  • Suggested as a strong target for the Lakers.
  • The pitch:
    • elite guard defense
    • useful for minimum-level teams that need perimeter stoppers
  • Caveat:
    • some concern that he really only looks fully at home in certain systems

Matisse Thybulle

  • Also floated as a Lakers-style distressed asset gamble.
  • Why he’s interesting:
    • elite defensive value
    • potential to boost his market if he proves himself on a high-profile team
  • Main concern:
    • injury history and uncertainty around his availability

Peyton Watson

  • One of the most interesting restricted free agents still unresolved.
  • The hosts saw him as:
    • a valuable athletic defender
    • a player whose length and versatility would help several teams
  • They especially liked him as a fit for teams like Detroit, where he could fill a modern forward role.

Jonathan Kuminga

  • The conversation around Kuminga was more skeptical.
  • Main issue:
    • the hosts don’t think his ideal role is obvious yet
    • he may need a simpler, more structured environment than Golden State has offered
  • Best-case scenario:
    • he lands with a team that can give him low-pressure “make-good” minutes
    • possibly on a minimum or near-minimum deal depending on the market

Main Takeaways

  • The Celtics discussion was really about how the new CBA forces hard choices even when a team is still good.
  • LeBron’s next team will likely depend on three things:
    1. fit
    2. narrative
    3. how much he can reduce his workload
  • The best basketball fits were generally Denver, Golden State, Philadelphia, and Minnesota, while Cleveland had the strongest emotional pull.
  • On the free-agent side, the market is thin, so the most useful players are the ones who can:
    • defend multiple positions
    • shoot just enough
    • and survive in a playoff rotation without needing the ball
  • The biggest theme across the entire episode: in today’s NBA, roster construction is less about chasing the perfect star and more about managing cost, timeline, and optionality.