Riley has flown in to Vegas to try and sell the idea of staying in Miami.
Miami Heat star LeBron James will reportedly meet with team president Pat Riley on Wednesday in Las Vegas with the talks set to determine his future, ESPN reports.
With James reportedly demanding a maximum-level contract from the Heat this summer, Riley has been put in a difficult position given that both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also opted out of their contracts.
In the meantime, he has moved to acquire Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger in a bid to prove to the trio that he is capable of building a competitive roster around them to give them an immediate opportunity of winning another championship together.
However, reports suggest that Bosh has had his head turned by the promise of a max-level deal from the Houston Rockets, and it is particularly appealing now that Miami will in all likelihood ask him to take a significant pay cut if they are to keep James happy.
James is currently in Vegas for his annual basketball camp and Riley has flown in for a meeting which will involve the latter attempting to sell the idea of staying in Miami and winning more titles with the franchise regardless of who else stays around him.
While this is understood to be the first meeting that James has participated in since entering the free agency market, his agent, Rich Paul, has reportedly spoken with officials from the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and perhaps most intriguingly with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Four years on from deciding to leave the Cavs, James’ old team have now constructed a talented young roster which includes point guard Kyrie Irving and recent No.1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, and that could be a determining factor.
In addition, it has been reported that James’ family and close friends have all pushed for him to return to Cleveland, and a meeting could yet follow whether or not the discussions with Riley are deemed a success.
While James’ contract demands are arguably the biggest sticking point in this whole scenario for Miami, the Big Three will recognise that they are still capable of winning together after coming through the Eastern Conference last year.
However, perhaps their biggest weakness was their lack of strength in depth and that was ruthlessly exposed by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals who were able to live with the star trio having their impact and restricting others around them.
Whether or not James is happy about the recruits this summer remains to be seen, but ultimately, Riley will need to come up with something special, financial or not, to ensure that the two-time NBA champion is back at the AA Arena next season.
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