LeBron James Has Yet to Make Himself Available Despite Lakers’ Outreach, Reveals Brian Windhorst

Things have gotten interesting for LeBron James as we rapidly approach NBA free agency. Amid teams like the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly showing interest, Brian Windhorst's revelation was a blow to the possibility of James returning to the Lakers.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst revealed that James has yet to meet with the Lakers. Despite LA's interest in keeping the King around, it seems like James could be keeping his options open.

"It's my understanding that LeBron has not made himself available to meet with the Lakers about his free agency," Windhorst said on The Rich Eisen Show. "I'm choosing those words carefully, 'has not made himself available.'"

"The Lakers reached out to LeBron to say, 'Hey, we'd love to have you back,'" Windhorst added. "He has, based on his (Instagram), been playing golf every day. ... The Lakers have not even been able to offer LeBron a contract because he has not had time or has not made himself available."

Free agency will begin on Tuesday. While many players, including James, have decisions to make, the good news is that free agency doesn't have a deadline during the summer.

From a salary cap prespective the Los Angeles Lakers still seem to be the best option for the 41-year-old. Despite offering, they still have $52.1 million left to offer James.

However, the 2022 NBA Champions are reportedly very interested in Bron.

Could LeBron James be Leaning Towards Joining the Warriors?

After Draymond Green declined his player option with the Golden State Warriors, it appears that the team is ready to go all-in to pursue LeBron James. For the past several weeks, there have been rumors, and since then, Golden State's cap situation has improved.

Initially, the Warriors could only offer a mid-level exception, which is worth approximately $15 million. However, after Green dropped his $27.7 million player option, Golden State now has extra cap space to pursue the King. Anthony Davis is the only obstacle remaining.

According to insider reports, James would only be willing to play for the Warriors if they trade for Davis. That's easier said than done. To acquire Davis, the Warriors would need to trade Jimmy Butler and several draft picks to the Washington Wizards.

The Warriors have expressed no intention of letting go of Butler, and there's no news whether their sentiments have changed.

While Green has yet to make a statement regarding why he declined his player option, rumors suggest that it's his way of helping the Warriors secure more valuable pieces to upgrade the team. However, given the complexity of the Davis trade scenario, acquiring James won't be easy.