LISTEN: Don't Be Surprised If LeBron James Makes The Rounds In Free Agency, NBA Writer Says
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Despite that LeBron James delivered on his promise and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA title, there are still signs that King James and owner Dan Gilbert have a frosty relationship -- and that could lead the NBA Finals MVP to listen to pitches from other teams this summer, an NBA beat writer said Monday.
Ira Winderman, who covers the Miami Heat for the Sun-Sentinel, told WFAN's Mike Francesa that James still has some bitter feelings after Dan Gilbert "publicly humiliated" him in a scathing letter to Cavaliers fans after James signed with the Heat in December 2010.
>> Subscribe To The Mike Francesa Podcast
"I mean, the poor people of northeast Ohio might have to go through it again, but what better way to turn the screws annually on Dan Gilbert than to take the short-term deals like we're talking about -- $30 million this off year with an option?
Doing so would deliver a message to Gilbert that "I am in charge of everything now and hence forth and that's the way it's going to be," Winderman said.
"So yes, I think you're going to see the dalliances with New York and maybe with the Clippers or the Lakers and Miami," Winderman added.
MORE: Keidel: LeBron's NBA Immortality Can Never Be Questioned
Winderman said the idea of James ultimately leaving Cleveland this summer is "more fantasy than anything."
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio player above.