The Los Angeles Clippers briefly explored signing LeBron James to a one-year contract worth more than $20 million before the four-time MVP committed to the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported.
McMenamin, citing conversations during this summer’s free-agency period, said the idea was discussed internally but never advanced to a formal proposal. How the Clippers would have cleared the necessary cap room was not specified.
League-wide interest ran deep
Agent Rich Paul told ESPN that representatives from 27 teams reached out about James after he announced he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the extensive interest, James ultimately focused on the 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Staying in Los Angeles was an option
A Clippers deal would have allowed the 39-year-old forward to continue playing home games at Crypto.com Arena, sharing the venue with his former Lakers club while joining another veteran-heavy contender. The scenario, however, “never gained serious traction,” according to McMenamin.
After James moved on from the possibility, the Clippers shifted their offseason strategy and eventually traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.
James signed with Philadelphia on a reported three-year max contract, ending speculation that had dominated headlines throughout the summer.
Source: Hoops Wire
