Former NBA player claims LeBron James once offered him a contract

A former NBA player revealed that LeBron James once took the lead on offering him a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mirza Teletovic, who played six seasons in the NBA, said in a new interview that James reached out to his agent during the 2015 offseason. Teletovic had suffered a pulmonary embolism the previous season and was struggling to attract interest, but James apparently made him an offer.

“Few people really know who King James is,” Teletovic said, via Eurohoops. “After my pulmonary embolism, when no one wanted to sign me, he called my agent and offered me a contract with Cleveland.”

For whatever reason, nothing ever came to fruition with the Cavaliers. Teletovic ended up signing with the Phoenix Suns for the 2015-16 season, then parlayed a successful campaign there into a three-year, $30 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. A recurrence of his pulmonary embolism ultimately ended his career in 2018.

It’s a pretty cool story that demonstrates how much respect James had for Teletovic, who had spent three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets up to that point. It will also be more fuel for those who believe that James essentially acted as de facto general manager of those Cleveland teams. It may also reveal why James is thought to be a bit perturbed by his recent loss of influence with the Los Angeles Lakers.