All the elaborate recruiting plans for LeBron James will have to change. James will not go on a recruiting tour, his longtime business manager Maverick Carter told ESPN.com Friday.
Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will visit with individual clubs in Northeastern Ohio once the free-agency period begins July 1.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the latest plan calls for the New Jersey Nets — led by new owner Mikhail Prokhorov and minority owner/longtime James pal Jay-Z — to be the first team to meet James face to face. No one from James’ camp, though, would confirm the meeting.
Well, that’s a relief. Anything that can keep this courtship from becoming more of a spectacle is fine by me.
Holding all the talks in Ohio should also speed this process up. Hopefully, LeBron’s camp knocks these meetings out quickly so he doesn’t hold free agency hostage while he makes up his mind.
Really, he should already have his list narrowed to 2-3 teams, but it seems as if he is seriously considering six franchises: the Cavs, Bulls, Knicks, Heat, Nets and Clippers.
Though with the news that the Clippers are down to Vinny Del Negro and Dwyane Casey in their coaching search, I don’t see LeBron coming out West.
