NBA Draft: Cavaliers Want To Keep LeBron, May Trade Pick For Veterans

The Cleveland Cavaliers still hope to keep LeBron James and are looking to add established veterans in a bid to entice him to stay.

The Cavaliers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals earlier this month, seemingly increasing the possibility of James becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer and leaving the franchise for the second time in his career.

The 33-year-old has a player option in his current deal which if not exercised by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 29, will see him be free to join any team, though he could also return to Cleveland as well.

According to sources close to Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers' front office has been in contact with the camp of James but there has been no "real dialogue" about his future with the latter not present in any of the meetings. A major reason for this is because James himself is unsure of his future at this point.

Regardless, the 2016 champions still want to keep him and are hoping upgrades to the team will tempt him into staying. After trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics last year, among the things the Cavaliers received in return were the Brooklyn Nets' first round pick, eventually being the eighth pick of this year's NBA Draft.

As a result, the Cleveland side are taking calls from teams looking for a higher draft pick in exchange for proven NBA veterans to not only entice James into staying but to bolster their roster even if he leaves. There is also a possibility of using the #8 pick to trade for a player like disgruntled San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard while league sources also state Charlotte's Kemba Walker is a possibility.

The NBA Draft begins Thursday and league rules dictate Cavs general manager Koby Altman must make his pick on that day. However, they could trade their pick immediately or sign a rookie and wait 30 days to trade him like they did in 2014 with Andre Wiggins who was then traded for Kevin Love. Current mock drafts predict the Cavs will sign Duke power forward Wendell Carter.

"I guess you're walking into the wilderness of the unknown, where you are at eight [draft pick], and how do you block out the draft compared to LeBron's decision eight days later and how do you try to separate it," former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks remarked.

"I think the hard part for Koby would come where what happens when there is a potential trade that is presented to him and he can bring back players, NBA players. If that's the case, it maybe happens Thursday night, and how do you go about doing it without a commitment from LeBron? What's the communication process like between the front office and LeBron in a scenario like that?"

In the end, the NBA Draft could prove crucial in whatever decision James makes.