NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said the league cannot finalise its 2026-2027 television schedule until LeBron James decides which team he will join, after James announced last month that he would leave the Los Angeles Lakers. Speaking at the CNBC/Boardroom Summit, Silver said broadcast partners and teams are pressing the league for clarity, since James's destination will shape decisions such as opening week and the Christmas Day fixtures, underlining how central individual superstars remain to the NBA's TV appeal.

Silver made the comments to Squawk Box anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin, admitting he has certain preferred "storylines" for where James lands, though he declined to say which. He also touched on other league matters, including expansion interest from Bob Iger in a Las Vegas team, the NBA's plan to take control of local media rights amid growing interest from YouTube and ESPN, and the treatment of WNBA star Caitlin Clark, whose recent on-court incident prompted Silver to ask WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to review a non-call that was later upgraded to a flagrant foul.