All the suitors who believe they have a realistic chance at landing LeBron James in free agency are “prepared to wait as long as it takes” to see where he’ll go, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required). That means delaying other moves, possibly for weeks, as James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, said he doesn’t expect a quick decision.
The race remains fluid, but Stein and Fischer cite “a growing belief” among the teams pursuing James that the idea of finishing his career with the Cavaliers appears to be “the scenario to beat.” The sentiment involved with returning to the Northeast Ohio area where he grew up could create a satisfying conclusion to James’ career, which began when Cleveland drafted him in 2003.
It could be telling that the Cavaliers have been so quiet since free agency began Tuesday evening. Stein and Fischer say the expectations were that James Harden would have a new contract in place by now and that Cleveland would be aggressively involved in the chase for Atlanta forward Jonathan Kuminga. They note that the Cavs’ only move so far is a new veteran’s minimum contract for Thomas Bryant, while Dean Wade has agreed to terms with Philadelphia and Keon Ellis has reached an agreement with Brooklyn.
An emerging conspiracy theory, according to Stein and Fischer, is that Cleveland wants to make sure it has enough roster flexibility to work out a trade with the Lakers so that Bronny James can join his father if the team’s pursuit of LeBron is successful.
The Sixers, Nuggets and Timberwolves all believe they’re still in the race for James and that they’re getting “legitimate consideration” alongside the Cavaliers, Warriors and Heat, add Stein and Fischer, who speculate that Golden State, Minnesota and possibly Miami have a combination of players and coaches that James might find appealing.
The Spurs still aren’t expected to get involved in the pursuit of James, sources tell Stein and Fischer, even though Paul mentioned them in a white-board presentation during his latest podcast. However, the authors caution that things could change as James considers his options.
