If LeBron James opts out of his contract, general managers can start making their pitches to him on Sunday, when free agency officially beings. But one star player apparently got an early start.
Kawhi Leonard has reached out to James, expressing interest in playing together, according to a report from Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz.
Schultz reports that, according to a source, Leonard "pitched James on his incredible defensive ability and how it would alleviate the pressure on James."
James, who has until Friday to opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers, reportedly doesn't want any big team pitches in free agency (see story), but there's no word yet on how he feels about players making their own pitches. There's no denying that James and Leonard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, would be an incredible combination.
Could the two stars team up on the Sixers? The Lakers, who Leonard reportedly wants to play for, are the most likely destination, but it's not impossible the Sixers could land both stars (see story). They'd obviously have to get rid of players like Dario Saric and Robert Covington, both of whom were included in a possible reported trade package for Leonard (see story), to have the cap space necessary to acquire Leonard and James. According to an ESPN report, the Spurs expect that trading Leonard to the Lakers would result in James and Leonard coming to Los Angeles.
Superteams are the norm nowadays in the NBA, but Leonard, James, Embiid and Simmons in the same lineup is an absolutely ridiculous proposition, albeit an unilkely one. We'll have to wait and see how James felt about Leonard's pitch.
