The Cleveland Cavaliers are turning to Travis Kelce to help bring LeBron James home for the final stretch of his NBA career, according to a source close to the team.
James has told the Los Angeles Lakers he wants to test free agency and continue for a 24th season elsewhere, with Denver, Golden State and Miami all mentioned as possible destinations. Cleveland, where James grew up and won a championship in 2016, is also in the mix, and the Cavaliers' front office is leaning on famous fans to make its case.
"Now that LeBron is still looking to see where he will play next, Cleveland is up there as a major landing spot for him to return," a source close to the team told the Daily Mail. "As the Cavaliers try to convince him to return, the franchise is asking famous Cleveland fans to reach out to LeBron to make his decision that much easier."
That effort centers on Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, both Ohio natives and longtime Cavaliers fans.
"Cleveland brass has reached out to both Travis and Jason to do some finessing and courting of LeBron to come back home and finish his career with the Cavs," the source said. "[They're] also asking the brothers to be a part of a video package to send his way to pull on his heartstrings."
The source added that LeBron's agent has said the choice of his next team comes down to his happiness, and the Cavaliers believe returning home offers that. "They are looking to use the Kelces and other Cleveland fans to get them over the hump," the source said, adding that "it appears that Travis and Jason are fully on board to get LeBron back to bring another championship to Cleveland."
Travis Kelce married Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden last Friday. The couple is expected to make their first public appearance as a married couple this weekend at the wedding of Kelce's former Kansas City Chiefs teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster in California, which should still leave Kelce time to make a call to James.
Rich Paul lists LeBron's top landing spots
James informed the Lakers last week that he intends to explore free agency after spending eight seasons with the franchise since 2018. His agent and business partner, Rich Paul, has named the Philadelphia 76ers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavaliers as the teams most likely to be a good fit.
Paul also said that if the New York Knicks had not recently won an NBA title, James would be heading to Madison Square Garden. Paul said the Knicks have "checked in" to gauge James's interest, but that James would not disrupt an already well-built roster.
Knicks say they have no interest
Paul's comments caught much of the NBA off guard, and a source told the Daily Mail the Knicks themselves were among the most surprised.
"Rich Paul, LeBron's agent, has plenty of influence and can certainly say what he wants, but his recent comments suggesting LeBron would have gone to the Knicks if they hadn't won the championship came as news to New York, because the Knicks simply aren't interested," the source said.
"Years ago, when the Knicks made a legitimate push before LeBron ultimately signed with the Lakers, the interest was very real. But a lot has changed since then," the source added.
Since that earlier pursuit, the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought, winning their first NBA title since 1973 through a series of targeted acquisitions and free agent signings rather than a pursuit of top-market names.
"The franchise has moved forward, built a contender, and become one of the NBA's biggest success stories winning the championship. From their perspective, they're no longer looking backward," the source said, adding that the Knicks "also have no interest in being used as leverage or a talking point in LeBron's future free agency decisions." The source said, "As far as they're concerned, that opportunity has long passed."
A long history of near-misses with New York
James has been linked to the Knicks on multiple occasions. That includes his 2010 free agency decision, when he turned down New York in favor of the Miami Heat, joining fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and going on to win multiple titles before returning to the Cavaliers, where he won a championship in 2016.
James had another opportunity to join the Knicks in 2018 after opting out of his Cavaliers contract, but chose the Lakers instead, winning the 2020 NBA title with Los Angeles.
The source said the door with New York has closed for good. "The ship has sailed, and the Dolan family and the organization would rather LeBron and Rich borrow a line from Will Smith and 'keep their name out of his mouth,'" the source said.
