Cross the Indiana Pacers off the list of potential landing spots for LeBron James.
James was a guest panelist alongside Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton this week during this year’s Fanatics Fest event at the Javits Center in Manhattan, N.Y. Haliburton used the opportunity to tease James repeatedly about his free agency process.
Haliburton also revealed to the crowd that even he had pitched LeBron via text on the merits of joining the Pacers, even before news broke that he was leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Rather than respectfully declining Tyrese’s recruiting pitch, James just replied to him with a pair of laughing emojis.
The Pacers guard claimed that response marked the official end of his efforts to bring James to Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton said he made a recruiting attempt to bring LeBron to Indiana, even before he let the Lakers know he would be leaving.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 16, 2026
LeBron’s text back: 🤣🤣
Haliburton said that was the end of his recruiting efforts.
Considering the Pacers were a game away from winning the NBA Finals two seasons ago, adding a talent like James for cheap could push the team to legitimate contender status.
But LeBron’s fit in Indiana would be questionable to say the least, beyond just the fact that Indianapolis isn’t among the country’s bigger media markets.
The Pacers’ offense revolves completely around Haliburton’s playmaking ability, which may push James off the ball more than he would like.
The Pacers also play at a breakneck speed to take advantage of the team’s ability to finish in transition. That may not be the most appealing style of play for a 41-year-old LeBron to close out his career. Based on some of James’ other comments during Fanatics Fest, another Eastern Conference team may have a better shot at his services.
Kudos to Haliburton for still shooting his shot, though.
