LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers may have shocked the NBA, but it appears Cleveland was firmly in the mix before the four-time MVP made his final call.
New information has revealed that James held a private meeting with the Cavaliers front office in early July as he weighed his free agency options.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that he was aware of the meeting but deliberately chose not to report it at the time because the information was shared confidentially.
“Now, tell me Rich if I’m right or wrong,” Charania asked Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul on the Game Over podcast. “Does the Cavs front office team, Koby Altman, Brandon Weems, the Gilbert family, Grant Gilbert, meet LeBron in early July in Akron?”
Paul seemed taken aback by the revelation, answering, “Wait a minute, how do you know that?”
Charania then explained why the matter remained hidden.
“In real time, integrity is more important than anything because this was information I was told by many people behind the scenes, off the record,” Charania said. “This was something that, ethically, I could not report.”
The previously undisclosed meeting confirms that Cleveland carefully examined the possibility of returning James to find another place with the franchise that won the 2016 NBA championship.
In the end, though, James chose a different path, signing a two-year deal with the 76ers after Philadelphia overhauled its roster.
Paul has suggested that the Sixers weren’t initially considered a real deal until they acquired All-Star Jaylen Brown, a move that dramatically changed the team’s outlook for the upcoming season.
“I think Philadelphia will give him a boost,” Rich Paul told ESPN this week. “Maybe we’ll get two [seasons]. Maybe we’ll get four.”
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