Why is LeBron James' free agency decision taking so long? Because he's earned this | Opinion

LeBron James, still an unrestricted free agent, has been on a media tour.

He was a prominent figure at Fanatics Fest in New York, appearing in a live taping of a podcast with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. He was part of a CNBC panel and was named the “Athlete of the Century” at the Time100 Sports Gala.

Yet when asked about his next team, James was only coy, deflecting and dodging questions, even though he hinted that his final decision may have even already been made.

“I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, July 16 during the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit. “Because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the (NBA regular season) schedule.”

So, what’s the reason for the holdup?

The short answer: James is taking his time because he can. No active player in the NBA has the stature and reputation that he does, so he has earned the right to conduct business on his own terms.

If it means deliberating for weeks, then so be it. If it means indulging James, should this be what he wants, allowing him to bask in the pursuit and attention he’s drawing from other teams, then so be it. Even if that means generating more footage for a rumored documentary about his season and the end of his career, so be it.

Whether prospective teams and fan bases like it or not, these are simply the operational costs of signing a player like LeBron James.

LeBron's goal: What's most important is that I want to compete and join a franchise that's practicing championship habits daily

LeBron James has all the information he needs. He'll control the pace

Practically everything James does, at least professionally, is by design. He’s a detail-oriented athlete and businessman, and he’s image-conscious. So whenever a decision comes down – whether he or his agent Rich Paul leak it to their preferred reporter or whether James announces it himself on social media or in a first-person op-ed – it will be executed the way he wants it.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a 22-time All-Star, James will embark on his record 24^th NBA season. He has maintained that he wants to compete for championships. Earlier in the week, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports that James has all the information he needs from prospective teams and that he would be weighing his options.

James has been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Cleveland and Miami, on one level, appear to make the most sense, given James’ previous ties to both franchises. If I had to guess where he ends up, I think it’s one of those two.

Either way, James is certainly assessing each of those rosters and trying to ascertain where he fits best and which gives him the most likely chance to win. Presumably, this will be the final stop of James’ career, so it makes sense for him to be calculated and deliberate. That’s only magnified further if James is indeed leaning toward the 76ers, Warriors or Timberwolves, each of which would be new stops.

So my best suggestion to fans who might be tired of the speculation is to embrace patience, because at the end of the day, James is going to do things the way he wants. He has earned that right.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is LeBron James' free agency decision taking so long? Because he's earned this | Opinion