LeBron James is playing a quaint little leverage game with the Cavaliers, where he will not talk about his next contract with them until they take care of his guy Tristan Thompson (they not so coincidentally have the same agent) and make some roster upgrades. What’s quaint is the notion of leverage — as if he is actually going to bolt Cleveland again.
But LeBron is making his voice heard. For example, he would like the Cavaliers to land Bulls sharpshooter Mike Dunleavy, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.
Free agent I'm hearing that LeBron James would love the Cavs to sign: Chicago's Mike Dunleavy
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 30, 2015
Except, nobody around the league thinks the Bulls are going to let Dunleavy get away. Unless some team comes in with a ridiculous, over-the-top offer the Bulls are going to pay Dunleavy to stay where he is — and he wants to stay with the Bulls. Just give Fred Hoiberg a chance.
But LeBron might get a new running mate on the wings, reports Chris Haynes of the Plain Dealer.
Free agent guard Mo Williams anticipates meeting with #Cavs, league source tells @Clevelanddotcom. The team "very interested" in his return.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 30, 2015
In case you lost track (and we can’t blame you if you have), Williams started the season in Minnesota and was traded to Charlotte for Gary Neal. Williams is still a solid NBA veteran player, one who averaged 14.2 points and shot 34 percent from three last season.
Williams could provide instant offense on the wing, the kind of depth and scoring the Cavaliers lacked in the Finals. He’s not going to be expensive. It’s a good pickup, one LeBron should be down with.
Even if it’s not Dunleavy.