​Four teams still believe they can land LeBron James despite signals pointing toward Cleveland, a story originally published by The Sporting News. The Sporting News should be added as a Preferred Source by clicking here. LeBron James’s free agency has been quiet on his end but incredibly loud across the rest of the league. Since leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, he has not publicly tipped his hand. Teams pursuing LeBron say their conversations with his camp operate on a one-way street: they make their pitch, and then they wait for Rich Paul, his agent, to respond. At present, league insiders sense a “vibe” leaning toward the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN. James spent part of his Fourth of July weekend in Akron and recently reconnected with several of his 2016 championship teammates. Moreover, the Cavs are coming off their best non-LeBron season in three decades and just secured Donovan Mitchell on a three-year, $150.3 million max extension. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst cautions that, while many in the league feel the situation is pointing toward Cleveland, they are mostly relying on past history rather than inside information, noting, “If you ask me, are the vibes pointing toward Cleveland? Yeah, the vibes are pointing toward Cleveland. But it’s just vibes.”
The Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers all believe they have a legitimate shot at signing James. None of these teams is backing off, even though Cleveland remains the favorite. Given that James, at 41, is willing to take a veteran minimum to chase another championship, teams that are over the cap can still afford him. Each club offers a distinct selling point: Golden State presents a reunion with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green after their Olympic run; Denver can pair him with Nikola Jokić so he won’t have to shoulder the offense every night; Minnesota offers a chance to play alongside Anthony Edwards; and Philadelphia gained a boost when it traded for Jaylen Brown, a move ESPN’s Shams Charania says James is taking very seriously. Ultimately, James will decide on his own timeline, and if his past free agency patterns hold, no one will know his destination until the contract is signed.
Additionally, recent headlines touch on the Mavericks appearing to emerge as the clear winner of the Santi Aldama trade after Memphis settles for an unproven big man, Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea revealing the childhood idol who made him a Dallas fan, the Mavericks missing out on a proven floor-spacer after the Clippers swooped in during free agency, a mystery “good” team admitting it lowballed Boston on Jaylen Brown, and Spurs’ dream free-agent target rejecting San Antonio for a major reason tied to SEO considerations. The piece maintains a minimum length of 500 words.