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"Do you have a sense for who those teams are, who are the real contenders if LeBron doesn't come back?" Ramona Shelburne: "For me, it's pretty simple. It's either the Lakers, Cleveland, or Golden State. I would be really surprised if it's not one of those three. I think there's other teams that would make sense, but I don't see those as realistic."
Run It Back: On a 1-10 scale, Sam Amick thinks the Lakers' chances for bringing back LeBron & Reaves are a 6 👀 "If Austin gets paid... then there's not enough money for LeBron to feel respected, and then I could see him going up the coast to the Warriors."
A source close to Luka Doncic told ESPN that Doncic has kept in touch with James and Reaves since the season ended but hasn't pitched either player on returning to L.A. Most of their conversations, the source said, revolve around golf, as Doncic took up the sport in February and has bonded with his fellow links-obsessed teammates over it.
The Warriors' pitch, if the door cracks open, would be simple. They can clear room for the full $15.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel -- a team-friendly, low-risk bargain with on-court and off-court financial upside. LeBron James is an obvious top free agent target at that price point. The Warriors could theoretically tack on a second season player option and get Stephen Curry in on the recruitment process, if required. But they haven't knocked on that door because they've been given any indication it can be unlocked.
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In a joint Instagram post Wednesday between James, Smith, Thompson and Frye, the caption read: "The group chat finally linked up." Another joint post between Jefferson, Love, Thompson and Frye included a video of Thompson delivering drinks to the group on the course, captioned: "We all have roles."
Fullcourtpass: Iman Shumpert says LeBron James will throw a turnover on purpose to prove you were out of position "Bron kind of holds you accountable like yeah, I'm going to throw a turnover if you're not in the spot I told you to be" (Via @OutTheMudTL, h/t @0xarslan)
NBA on ESPN: "I'm hearing that [LeBron's] likely coming back [to the Lakers]. ... Kevin Love could likely be joining the Lakers too." @MarcJSpears gives some insight on what could be next for LeBron 🏀
If negotiations between James and the Los Angeles Lakers break down -- and if James goes searching for a new home for his 24th NBA season -- the Warriors are a willing suitor, team sources said. But openness does not equal anticipation. All the intel that Warriors decision-makers have gathered continues to point toward James' return to the Lakers, team sources said, and they are currently plotting their summer under that premise.
Instead, Smith said he did not hear a whistle and believed play would continue. With Golden State forward Kevin Durant defending near him, Smith decided to dribble away from the basket rather than attempt a contested shot. “I didn’t hear no whistle. So I’m like, alright, I’m going to take this to the corner. Let me get some space. KD’s seven foot. I ain’t about to shoot over this dude when he right here,” Smith said. Smith then explained that he believed the Warriors were denying James the ball, so he attempted to create space and eventually get the ball back to Cleveland’s star. “It looked like they were trying to deny LeBron. So I’m dribbling it out to get the ball to LeBron,” Smith said.
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Smith said he felt James expected him to make a decision that would maximize the team’s chances. “I’m literally looking at him like, ‘Bro, this is your job. That’s why you get the big bucks. They don’t pay me enough for this,’” Smith said.
James drew an eye-opening comparison to ChatGPT from former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Iman Shumpert, the 3-and-D guard with whom he won a title back in 2016. “He is ChatGPT of the NBA, bro. This the best way I can describe [him]. He's ChatGPT. That's Bron. You can ask him anything, he know. He know the assistant coaches, he know the player development. He is really programmed for this,” Shumpert said in an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, via @Ankara_inc on X (formerly Twitter).
Cedric Maxwell: "LeBron James is one of my favorite players because the longevity and what he's done. He is one of the top players of all-time. So I don't think that I could go away from that. I don't think you could have five greater players in the NBA than LeBron James and what he's done for the league and how he's really handled himself. A guy who has been no trouble, won championships, and you think about the personnel that have been around him, and other personnel that have been around him, you don't have that with LeBron. I have to give Kyrie Irving obviously was that, but the personnel that he's had over the years, that is really different when you think about what he's done and how he's won championships."
ESPN Cleveland: "I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he's allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating, I believe they're going back and forth," - @WindhorstESPN on LeBron's future.
