Report: LeBron James unlikely to join young team in free agency

With LeBron James’ anticipated free agency now just six-and-a-half months away, could his list of potential destinations be narrowing?

In an appearance Thursday on “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that if James were to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, he would likely join a team where he would be seen as the “missing piece” rather than signing with a young team. This is according to Kelly Iko, also of ESPN.

"If he were to leave Cleveland, LeBron James would likely join a team where he would be considered the "missing piece", and not a young team"–Ramona Shelburne on SportsCenter, according to her league sources.

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) December 15, 2017

Indeed, we heard earlier this week that this much-buzzed-about young team was considered a “long-shot” to land the four-time MVP. However, this latest report seems to suggest that other young teams like the Philadelphia 76ers could have difficulty luring James in as well.

The King is about to turn 33 years old and has racked up just about every accolade on the planet already in his 15 NBA seasons. Thus, it would be no surprise if adding to his ring total is his main focus come his 2018 free agency.