Reporter drops inside information on viral LeBron James rumor

On Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Golden State Warriors attempted to trade for LeBron James at the Feb. 8 deadline. The news went viral. The notion of pairing James with Steph Curry had fans dreaming of what that partnership could have looked like. 

According to Ramona Shelburne, who was speaking to Zach Lowe on the "Lowe Post Podcast," that news was never meant to leak to the press.

“Everyone we called to check on it, I think their first reaction was, ‘How the hell did you hear about this?" Shelburne said. "How the hell did you even get wind of it?’ Because like we use the word clandestine in the story, but it was. Another person said top secret. Like this was never, ever supposed to get out.”

LeBron's future with the Lakers is a hot topic. The veteran forward has a player option for next season worth $51.4 million. He has never left a team while under contract. As such, his ability to opt-out in the summer is generating buzz among NBA fans. 

Golden State's roster is full of aging stars. Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are all entering the twilight of their career. Adding LeBron to that roster would have been an amazing story to get behind. Draymond and LeBron share a close friendship. Reports have stated he tried to coax the Lakers star into making the move via discussions with Rich Paul. 

It's interesting to find out the news was never supposed to surface. That means someone had to deliberately leak that information. Usually, when a leak of this magnitude occurs, it's due to someone having an agenda. An agent could be looking to pressure the front office. A player could be testing the fan's reaction. Or, a front office could be looking to ensure a player toes the line. 

LeBron's future will continue to be a big talking point for the rest of the season. The most logical outcome is for him to opt into his player option and remain with the Lakers. Nevertheless, that won't stop fans from dreaming and the media from speculating. Still, it's doubtful we will get any more leaks of this magnitude before the offseason. Both teams will likely be looking to tighten up their chain of communications.