Broussard: Rich Paul Denies LeBron James Recruited Kawhi Leonard in Philadelphia

On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith appeared on ESPN Radio with Jorge Sedano and reported that LeBron James was in Philadelphia during the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Philadelphia Sixers and Toronto Raptors. Smith suggested that LeBron was talking to Kawhi Leonard, ostensibly recruiting him to join the Los Angeles Lakers next season (h/t Erik García Gundersen of LeBron Wire).

But on Friday, James' agent Rich Paul told Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 that the report was false:

Broussard went on to note he thought there was a "slim chance" Leonard would join the Lakers this summer, citing the Los Angeles Clippers and Raptors as the frontrunners, but added, "to say there is no chance would be wrong."

The 2019 offseason will be huge for the Lakers. They whiffed on their chance to add a superstar next to James last summer, with Paul George spurning them to remain in Oklahoma City, while the New Orleans Pelicans never seemed to seriously engage with them regarding Anthony Davis ahead of the trade deadline.

A fresh batch of superstars can become free agents this offseason, however, including Leonard. It's unlikely James will want to play a second straight season with a young core comprised solely around Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. 

But the Lakers have been something of a mess already this offseason. Former president Magic Johnson shockingly and abruptly stepped down. One head coaching candidate, Monty Williams, chose the Phoenix Suns. Negotiations fell through with another candidate, Tyronn Lue. And Lakers fans have taken to protesting the team's ownership and senior leadership. 

All is not well in the land of Showtime. Obviously, a lot would be remedied if LA added another star, but questions remain about who might want to join.

Would Kevin Durant, for instance, want to join James rather than beat him? Ditto for Leonard. Would Kyrie Irving consider playing with James again after requesting a trade away from Cleveland toward the end of James' second run with the Cavaliers? Will players like Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler or Tobias Harris leave their current teams? Would Kemba Walker or DeMarcus Cousins be enough to get the Lakers over the hump?

With other big-market teams like the Clippers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets carrying plenty of cap space into this summer, it isn't out of the question that the Lakers could whiff on signing a major star. And a team like the Boston Celtics has more appealing young players and draft assets than the Lakers in any AD trade talks. 

The allure of Los Angeles as a destination, the Lakers history as an organization and James' status as an NBA legend could be enough to attract stars this summer. But it's far from a guarantee, and whether James is starting his recruiting early or not, it would be hard to blame him for pulling out all the stops.