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With the LeBron James sweepstakes still in process, Tyrese Haliburton attempted to pitch the four-time NBA champion and MVP to join the Indiana Pacers for his next season.
Unfortunately, the recruiting attempt didn’t go so well for Haliburton, who recently revealed James’s response to his pitch on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“LeBron being my teammate isn’t looking good. … I texted him before Fanatics Fest. I said, ‘Hey, you should come be a Pacer’… He responded with 6 laughing crying faces,” Haliburton told McAfee, adding, “It hurt.”
While Haliburton said it wasn’t looking good for the Pacers, he also indicated that he believes any of the 30 NBA teams would want James on their roster. While it’s unclear how he’d impact all rosters, James would certainly be a huge boost for any team in terms of drawing more fans to attend a team’s games or watch on TV.
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Haliburton recently chatted with James on stage at Fanatics Fest for a special “Mind the Game” podcast, where James shut down his questions about his next team. He’s also been taking an extraordinary amount of time to announce his decision.
As it stands, there are really just a handful of teams that seem to be in the mix: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors.
However, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the three Eastern Conference teams are ahead of the Timberwolves and Warriors in the attempt to land James. As far as when the announcement will happen, James’ agent Rich Paul said they’re taking their time.
“We’re not going to be rushed. It’s his choice to make and when he makes the choice, he’ll make it,” Paul recently stated on the “Game Over” podcast with co-host Max Kellerman.
While the Pacers don’t appear among the contenders to bring James to Indiana, they have to be optimistic about the return of Haliburton for the upcoming season.
The multi-time All-Star sat out all of last season while recovering from his torn Achilles injury as the Pacers failed miserably in the Eastern Conference, finishing 19-63. Haliburton appears back on track to make a healthy return, announcing in April that he played five-on-five basketball for the first time since his injury.
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For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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