Read into it what you will, but LeBron James is reportedly staying in the background as free agency gets underway.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James has stayed in the background with free agency underway, doing no active recruiting of top Cleveland Cavalier targets. This is a marked departure from years past, in which he was instrumental in sealing the deal with players such as Kevin Love and Mike Miller.
The Cavaliers have, thus far, only signed point guard Jose Calderon. They also maintain interest in forward Zach Randolph, but with the team in a difficult salary cap spot, it’s unclear what their plan going forward is.
Despite his absence from the recruiting trail, James has, according to an agent, been kept in the loop by owner Dan Gilbert and acting general manager Koby Altman with regard to the team’s free agency plans.
It sounds like James has spent more time talking about other people’s contracts than pushing for new additions to the Cavs. That’s obviously his right, but given how aggressive he’s been in the past, it’s fair to wonder what it says about his relationship with Gilbert and the organization in light of former GM David Griffin’s abrupt departure.
