For one reason or another, the Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to lure LeBron James back home for one final run. James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead after nearly a month of free agency.
The Cavs handled free agency as if they were going to get LeBron. Now we know why. On the most recent episode of the Game Over podcast, Rich Paul — James’s agent — and ESPN’s Shams Charania disclosed that James met with Cleveland’s front office and ownership group at the beginning of July in Akron.
“The Cavs front office group, Koby Altman, Brandon Weems, the Gilbert family… meeting with LeBron in Akron in early July,” said Charania.
“In real time, the integrity matters more than anything; this was something I was told off the record. Ethically, I couldn’t report it because it wasn’t told to me in a way where I could have a reporter double and triple-check.”
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This latest news confirms earlier rumblings. There were whispers that James had met with the Cavs around this time. It appears that was completely true.
What went down in that meeting is unknown, but you can read this two ways. Both would be justified.
There’s an interpretation of this that the Cavs blew it. After all, Cleveland was the only team that got a complete meeting with James. There was clearly interest in a reunion back home, but something that transpired here made LeBron have second thoughts. Maybe it was due to the roster. Maybe LeBron had other demands.
In this reading, the Cavs didn’t make those guarantees, played hardball, and lost. Now, not only do they have limited resources to fill their hole at small forward. But they also will have to go through James and the Sixers in a loaded Eastern Conference.
The second reading of this is that LeBron was never really interested in going to Cleveland, but at least wanted to hear his hometown team out to retain plausible deniability. James could’ve made unrealistic demands — such as possibly trading Evan Mobley or Donovan Mitchell for older and worse players — knowing that the Cavs wouldn’t acquiesce. That way, he could always say he wanted to finish his career in Cleveland, but the Cavs weren’t willing to make the moves necessary to make it happen.
However you want to read this is up to you.
What we can say with certainty is that if LeBron wanted to end his career in Cleveland, he certainly had an opportunity to do so. The Cavs are an extremely talented group and have proven that they can win multiple playoff series. Even if James didn’t like all aspects of the roster, there was something there to work with.
Instead, LeBron chose a different path. He decided to live in New York and play for their suburban market, setting up a rivalry between him and his former team.
