We know the Celtics were interested in the future Hall of Famer, but he only granted an in-person meeting to one team.
We learned early on Wednesday that the Boston Celtics were one of the teams to court LeBron James in free agency this summer before he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, but we learned later on Wednesday that James did not grant the Celtics an in-person meeting.
In fact, as noted by Shams Charania, only the Cleveland Cavaliers were given an in-person meeting, which took place in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Charania says this meeting was given out of respect for his two previous stints in the organization and his ties to Northeast Ohio.
But it is important to note that James did consider signing with the Cavaliers. It wasn't performative.
Any issue that Celtics weren't given meeting?
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way that we communicate, online meetings, digital meetings and video chat meetings are far more common. Not getting an in-person meeting is really not a big deal these days. James, or any player, can hear what the Celtics have to say through virtual meetings and presentations - and no one has to spend the time or money on traveling.
Furthermore, there's no fanfare about meetings this way, and for teams and players who want the meetings to remain covert, you don't have to worry about being spotted at the airport - or anywhere else. That was a regular worry as recently as 8-10 years ago.
Are the Celtics appealing to players like James?
Given the history of the organization and the recent track record of success (10 straight playoff appearances), the Celtics will always be an appealing destination. However, for a player like James, who is at the very end of his career, he likely wanted to go to a ready-made winner.
After trading Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are not perceived as that. They are viewed as good, and they are viewed as a contender, and they have opened up some financial flexibility by moving Brown, but they may be a year away from gearing up again. For James, he may not have a year to wait.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a foul in game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesThe 76ers are built to win right now after acquiring Brown. And for a player who cares deeply about his legacy and his opportunity to win, that matters.
Elsewhere in the news for the Celtics
About a week ago, we heard that there was some interest in free agent guard Bradley Beal from the C's.
Now, we hear that the Miami Heat are reportedly interested in Beal as well. This comes from Jake Fischer, and comes after we heard that the Heat are also monitoring the markets for Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan, who are potential trade and buyout candidates.
