Report: Chris Paul Working Hard to Recruit LeBron to Come to Houston

CPIII said to be focused more on James' impending free agency than his own.

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to drive around Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 3, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers tries to drive around Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 3, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Getty Images

With the NBA Draft coming up on Thursday and the league’s free agency period set to kick off on July 1, the rumors about where LeBron James will end up are flying fast and furious.

The Lakers, Sixers, Celtics, and Rockets have all been floated as potential landing spots for the four-time MVP and, up till now, James himself has been publicly mum about which one, if any, he prefers. However, if he does end up with the Rockets, it sounds as if the biggest reason will be the work of Chris Paul.

The All-Star point guard, who is also a free agent this year, has reportedly been aggressively recruiting James to join him in Houston, even though reports have James privately preferring the Lakers in L.A.

“Chris is going to return there. And listen, right now, Chris Paul’s focus isn’t so much on his own free agency,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. “He’s trying to recruit LeBron James to Houston, and somebody close to him said to me he is as focused on recruiting LeBron as anything he’s done in this league. He wants to find a way.”

It would take some doing, but there is a way the Rockets would be able to retain Paul and restricted free agent Clint Capela, bring in James, and still keep James Harden on his max deal.

So will Paul be able to convince his friend to ignore the brights lights of L.A. for the better odds of winning a championship that Houston provides? We may get answers as early as Thursday.

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!