LeBron’s manager: No tour of cities
Published 12:00 am Sunday, June 27, 2010
LeBron James is not going on a free-agent tour.
The NBA superstar’s business manager told ESPN.com on Friday that James has no plans to go on a recruiting trip when free agency opens on July 1. There had been speculation that the two-time MVP would hit the road like a college recruit next week to be courted by teams.
“LeBron is not going on a tour,” Maverick Carter told ESPN. “He never planned to go on a tour and has not been a part of any team’s plans for a recruiting trip.”
Attempts to reach Carter by The Associated Press were unsuccessful.
Carter said that once free agency begins that James will meet teams at neutral sites, but not at his home outside Akron, Ohio.
The New York Knicks were reportedly planning a splashy, rooftop dinner for James and his associates in Manhattan next week.
James has already met with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who traveled to Akron last week along with members of Cleveland’s front office to visit the All-Star forward. On Thursday, general manager Chris Grant refused to characterize the team’s discussions with James.
“We’re a family here,” Grant said.
There’s a chance the Cavs will meet with James again before he hits the open market, Grant said. James is the most coveted member of a stellar free-agent class featuring fellow Olympians Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Cleveland can offer James up to $30 million more than any other team on a maximum-length contract.
James has not given any indication which way he’s leaning. He has spent his entire career with the Cavs, who were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by Boston. James has said winning is the most important factor in choosing his next team.
Grant wouldn’t divulge any special plans by the Cavs to woo James.
“We have a plan and we will execute it,” he said.