Basketball

LeBron-Miami Heat Reunion Watch: Recruiting continues as weekend looms

By Tony Mejia Sports Illustrated

Barring a Friday late afternoon news dump that seems unlikely, it's looking like LeBron James will continue to bask at the center of the NBA universe. The general consensus is that either Cleveland or Miami will be his next stop, but that didn't stop Stephen Curry or Jaylen Brown from getting their recruiting pitches in.

Warriors forward Draymond Green went a step further, getting face time with the "King" on the golf course in Puerto Rico. James is giving Papa Smurf a run for his money given all the gray hairs in his beard, but rest assured, teams wouldn't want him if his game was as washed as his current relaxed look.

1. Cavs so sweet on Bron's return they didn't forget about Dray

Photos of LeBron James, showing off that gray-infused beard he's sporting this summer, and good friend Draymond Green golfing in Puerto Rico have been easy to find on social media. Bettors may be reading a little more into it than they should be, betting that Green will join James in Cleveland since his odds to join the Cavs as his next team spiked to 19 percent on Kalshi. The Canton-based "Cupcake Lady" who went viral for announcing James was leaving Miami for Cleveland in 2014 says he's coming back again, bringing Green and son Bronny James with him.

2. Curry's read on Bron is also that golf is a way to his heart

The Golden State Warriors understand that the chances of getting out of the Western Conference may not be as strong as they are if James joins one of the top East contenders courting him, but that doesn't mean they're not stealthily applying their own full-court press. Stephen Curry is tempting him with great chemistry in addition to plenty of time on the links, while Green undoubtedly also did some recruiting for the Dubs' cause.

3. Brown throws down his own welcome mat while at World Cup

Jaylen Brown is slowly getting over the shock of being traded from Boston to Philadelphia and received a warm reception at Gillette Stadium, where he watched France advance to the World Cup semis with a 2-0 win over Morocco. Speaking to popular streamer IShowSpeed, Brown made his pitch to James to join him on a loaded roster that includes one of his favorite players, fellow Klutch Sports client Tyrese Maxey, who is considered the Sixers' top recruiting tool.

4. What's next, clever cameos?

LeBron isn't taking face-to-face meetings just yet, but teams have been conveying messages through voice notes sent to Rich Paul to ensure he's aware of their interest. Those probably won't be made public, but it would be pretty marvelous if we could hear a sampling. It doesn't sound like Pat Riley's style to send one, but it sounds like it's right up Giannis Antetokounmpo's alley.

5. Schefy steps out of comfort zone to favor Heat as next stop

ESPN's Adam Schefter has long stated that he'd love to be an NBA insider if he ever wanted a change of pace from is current gig as the top info guy in the NFL, and his sources are indicating a Miami return is something he "might want to check into." We've been saying this all week.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as LeBron-Miami Heat Reunion Watch: Recruiting continues as weekend looms.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 10:16 AM.

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