CLEVELAND– Another summer of LeBron James is in full swing as his free agency decision looms. But this time around, he isn’t interested in any elaborate recruiting pitches.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, “sources close to the situation” say that James has no interest in sitting through elaborate pitch meetings this summer, and believe that both he and his agents understand the NBA landscape well enough to make a decision.
Per Shelburne, James may speak with a club official or owner at some point, but is unwilling to sit through full-on meetings. It’s also worth noting that James reportedly hasn’t yet decided whether he is going to pick up the player option on his contract.
He has until Friday to let the Cavs know whether he is going to opt in to the $35.6 million dollar option.
This process isn’t really all that different from what James did in 2014. He personally only met with the Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, while his agents met with the Bulls, Lakers, Suns, Rockets and Mavericks at the Klutch Sports offices in Cleveland. James eventually announced his free agency decision on July 11, 2014 via a letter in Sports Illustrated.
In 2010, of course, there was a much more elaborate process that led to his infamous ‘Decision’ special on ESPN on July 8, 2010. That summer, the Knicks, Heat, Bulls, Nets, Cavs and Clippers had team delegations make elaborate presentations to James in pitch meetings.
Realistically, the approach that James and his camp are taking this summer is arguably the most pragmatic path. After 15 years in the league, he is likely considering just a handful of options and has enough experience to understand the landscape of the NBA as a whole and what situation will be the best for him as things currently stand. There is likely no one sit-down pitch meeting that could provide him with new information.
So is this good or bad for the Cavs? That remains unclear at this point, and likely will remain unclear until James makes a decision.
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