Via Ohio.com, a report that LeBron James might be seriously considering the Bulls when NBA free agency begins on July 1:
Of all the teams vying for James, the Bulls seem to be the biggest threat. In addition to the pieces already in place, they have enough available cap space and the big-city lure, and Chicago is just a short flight from James’ home in Bath Township.
Known James adviser William Wesley, according to Yahoo! Sports, has been telling associates that James is ‘’leaning hard’’ toward signing with the Bulls.
Johnson doesn’t believe any part of James’ decision will be affected by new Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, the Celtics’ top assistant who was chosen to replace the fired Vinny Del Negro. Wesley represents Thibodeau.
‘’I think it’s safe to assume that if LeBron had an issue with that hire, it would’ve been conveyed to the Bulls,‘’ Johnson said. ’’Sometimes I think the perception of his influence or demand is way overstated. I think he respects the game and people’s basketball intelligence enough to know he’s a player and management will hire who they think is the best fit for the coach’s job.
‘’That said, I do think there are some people LeBron would not want to play for. If [Thibodeau] was on that list, I think the Bulls would’ve heard about it.’’