The Indiana Pacers would love to add LeBron James in free agency. Pretty much every team in the NBA would love to have him, even at this stage of his career. James is still one of the best 20 players in the NBA, even at 41 years of age.
Tyrese Haliburton has been trying to recruit James to join Indiana in free agency. James has a list of about five teams that he is still considering. While the Pacers aren’t one of them, Haliburton has been trying to convince James to consider them.
Now, Haliburton is admitting that the recruitment process isn’t going well.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard talks with LeBron James. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics)
Tyrese Haliburton Claims LeBron James is Unlikely to Play for the Pacers
While appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Haliburton admits that the recruitment process with James joining Indiana is not going well.
“LeBron being my teammate, it’s not looking good. I texted him before Fanatics Fest, and I said, ‘Hey, you should come be a Pacer.’ And he responded with six laughing crying emojis. I thought it was two. I said during our interview that it was two. I went back to the text and saw that it was six.”
For Pacers fans, this isn’t a surprising development. He has displayed disdain for the franchise in the past, especially when he played for the Heat, and the two teams were battling for Eastern Conference supremacy. It wouldn’t be shocking for him to not want to play in Indiana.
If the Pacers were to sign James, they would need to make a roster move because the team is at the maximum number of roster spots filled. Of course, finding a spot for James wouldn’t be hard. However, Haliburton made it pretty clear that Indiana is not a team that is a possibility for him.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton drives the ball in a game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Indiana has Already Made Most of its Offseason Roster Moves
The Pacers have already made most of the roster moves they have made this summer. Signing Kelly Oubre Jr. filled their final roster spot. Now that he is on the team, they don’t have room to do much more. They are likely finished making moves this summer.
Of course, they could always still make a trade. Any trade that they would make would likely involve a player with a lower salary. The Pacers are hard-capped at the first apron of the luxury tax. That’s fine with them, as they are a franchise that doesn’t love to spend a lot of money.
Indiana never thought they had a realistic shot to get James. It’s highly likely that they at least called Rich Paul and inquired about him, though. James still averaged almost 21 points per game last season. Haliburton is going to be leading a very talented team next season, though.
The Pacers had the third-worst offense in the NBA a year ago, and that will change with him back in the lineup.
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