James Harden and the Cavaliers want to welcome LeBron James with open arms, but is the feeling the same?
Harden is still a free agent right now, awaiting clarification on what direction the Cavs will take — and whether that direction includes LeBron.
“We’re waiting for a big guy,” Harden said, according to former LeBron teammate Channing Frye at Yahoo Sports.
And, when asked if he would like to share the floor with James in Cleveland the answer was simple.
“Yes,” the source told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. “James respects LeBron’s game; there is mutual respect between the two of them as competitors, and they both want to see each other do well.”
But does the feeling go both ways?
Sadly, during the 2022 All-Star draft, LeBron selected Harden as the last final election.
Also, on the “Game Over” podcast episode when Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul pulled out a whiteboard to discuss LeBron’s options, he didn’t say anything good about Harden.
“The bad thing is, and this is not an offense to Harden, there is no Darius Garland,” said Paul on his podcast. “Because LeBron loves Garland like he loves Tyrese Maxey.”
Insider Kevin O’Connor believes that if it were the Cavs’ choice to bring back Kyrie Irving and release The Beard, the choice would be easy for the 41-year-old.
“The belief around the league is that LeBron might choose the Cavaliers if the front office were to replace Harden with Irving. A 2016 reunion would be a lovely story …,” O’Connor said.
However, O’Connor then pointed out that the situation has two major roadblocks
“Problem No. 1: The Mavericks don’t want to trade Irving.
“… Problem 2: The Cavaliers are happy with Harden.”
Unfortunately for LeBron, many things may not go his way for whichever team he decides to join.
Shams reported that most of the teams that LeBron is considering in free agency would only offer him a lower rate or a different contract, which could be a $4 million contract.
READ MORE: LeBron James’ Free Agency Decision Depends on Three Key Factors
