Contenders prep pitches for LeBron
It’s not a fait accompli, but more than half of eight NBA front-office types/coaches interviewed at the Draft Combine said they expect LeBron James to bolt Cleveland this summer as a free agent now that the Cavaliers failed for the second straight season to win a title.
The Cavaliers’ season ended Friday at Quicken Loans Arena in a four-game sweep to the Warriors, and speculation over James’ future will go into overdrive from now until July 1, when he can become a free agent.
The Knicks have a new coach in David Fizdale, who was close to James in Miami, but none of those interviewed predicted he would land at the Garden this summer.
Kenyon Martin, who hasn’t done his salary-cap mathematics, predicted on FOX Sports that James and Paul George would team up with the Knicks, but that is financially impossible. The Knicks, at best, would have enough room for one max if Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn opt out and they trade Courtney Lee to free up cap space. By contrast, the Lakers actually have the cap space for both James and George.
“I don’t see [James joining the Knicks],” one NBA personnel director said. “They don’t have cap space to fit them. But relationships matter, so it’s not off the table in the future.’’
One NBA assistant coach from an Eastern Conference playoff team is convinced James is done with Northeast Ohio. Again.
The assistant coach said if the Cavaliers had soared into the top three in the lottery, James might have remained.
“After receiving the eighth pick, there’s a good chance he leaves,’’ the assistant coach said. “If it was a higher pick and they could get one of the higher guys, maybe he’d stay because LeBron can develop talent and he loves playing with young new talent.”
The assistant imagines the Lakers or the 76ers as James’ top two choices. The Rockets, with which buddy Chris Paul toils, also have been mentioned. Former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, said recently the Sixers have “the leg up’’ in the James sweepstakes, noting his agent Rich Paul also reps Ben Simmons. Griffin, whom James has praised since his departure from Cleveland, is a candidate to replace the fallen Bryan Colangelo as GM in Philadelphia.
“He’s got to look at L.A., but also Philadelphia, a team that can really compete,’’ the assistant said. “Boston is only getting better when they add Kyrie [Irving] and [get Gordon] Hayward back. If the Cavs can’t sign a big free agent, you got to think he’s got to try to find another place.”
On the flip side, came an NBA head coach who doesn’t see James pulling off a “Clexit’’ twice in a lifetime.
“I can’t see him leaving there again,” the head coach said. “He lives in Akron. His kids and family is home. This is how he’d want to finish. I think that’s what he’ll do.”
James’ reported dislike for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who fired Griffin, was never more clear than when he bolted past the owner without acknowledging him after Cleveland knocked out Boston in seven games. Gilbert was clap- ping the hands of each Cavalier as they came off the court that night.
“It’s a mess up there,’’ an NBA scout said. “It’s been a tough road. What LeBron said when he left for Miami is he went off to college, then he came back. I love that story. This story, I don’t know. I think he will entertain the idea of somewhere else. He’s not going to a rebuilding team. It can’t be Boston, but the Sixers are a good call.’’
The Cavaliers don’t have their 2019 first-round pick, given away in the Kyle Korver deal. That limits possible draftday deals.
“It depends on how creative Cleveland can get, but in Philly, that makes them a championship-calibre team,’’ said an NBA GM. “Can that happen in Cleveland? Probably not. It’s not good enough. How many teams in the West can the Cavaliers beat? Can they even eat Utah? Might be time for him to go.’’ marc.berman@nypost.com