LeBron James Rumors: Cavaliers Star In Contact With Potential Future Teammates

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James is reportedly in contact with players he wants to play with for next season as his potential free agency looms.

With one year remaining on his deal, James has until June 29 to exercise the player option in his Cavaliers contract, but it looks increasingly likely that he will decline it and instead, become an unrestricted free agent.

With the Cleveland side being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals earlier this month, the 33-year-old in all likelihood would prefer to add to his three championships by joining a side capable of challenging Steve Kerr's men, especially after losing to them three times in the last four years.

And as per Mark Hesler of the Orange Country Register, James is calling other players to see who might join him next season.

"Meanwhile, LeBron is doing what we does — calling players on other teams he wants to play with," an Eastern Conference general manager told Hesler.

There are two players that come to mind should what the Eastern Conference GM said be true — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Leonard recently made headlines when it was reported that he wanted out of the San Antonio Spurs with a preference to move to his hometown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 2014 Finals MVP has just one year remaining on his Spurs deal but having featured just nine times last season, was unhappy with how the franchise mishandled his injury along with public comments from teammates and head coach Gregg Popovich about his recovery process.

While Popovich reportedly met with Leonard last week to discuss their issues, the Lakers made an approach for the 28-year-old that was rebuffed by the Spurs, who have no interest in doing business with a Western Conference rival.

Leonard could still get his move but that would require him staying at the AT&T Center for another year before signing on as a free agent. But if he demands a trade this summer, the Spurs may be tempted by a Lakers package that includes Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and future draft picks.

As for George, another Los Angeles native, he will become a free agent this summer after his one-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder expires. And the former Indiana Pacers guard is heavily linked with a move to the Lakers, even with reports that he may consider staying on with OKC.

With James having -325 odds of joining the Lakers, it is entirely possible that he is in touch with either or both Leonard and George as the trio moving to the Staples Center would undoubtedly create a new super team capable of challenging the Warriors.

The move is entirely possible as well as the Lakers have room to offer two maximum contracts for both James and George while having the assets to offer a suitable trade for Leonard.

The next few days will determine more however, as interestingly, James recently updated his social media pictures with pro-Akron images, the area of Cleveland which he grew up in.