For the first time since 2014, LeBron James could be on the move this summer. And when the best player in the world is a free agent, it's understandable that everyone is going to do their best to recruit him. Unfortunately for most teams, it seems there are only a handful of places where LeBron will actually sign. One of them could be Houston, with the Rockets looking for reinforcements following their Western Conference finals defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, Paul is working diligently to bring his good friend to Houston. In fact, Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that CP3 is more focused on this task than he's been on anything else in his career.
According to @wojespn, Chris Paul isn't focused on his own free agency as much as he is bringing talent to Houston. "Somebody close to (Paul) said to me that he has his focus on recruiting LeBron (to Houston) as anything he's done in this league."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 19, 2018
Of course, Paul himself is a free agent, but judging by his recruitment of LeBron, it seems likely he'll be staying with the Rockets. He's not trying to convince the best player in the world to join the Rockets as a favor, just to then go sign somewhere else. And Wojnarowski's report confirmed what everyone else could surmise from Paul's actions. The point guard isn't going anywhere.
More from @wojespn on Chris Paul, from the ESPN2 NBA Draft preview:
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 19, 2018
"Chris is going to return there. Right now, his focus isn't so much on his own free agency, he's trying to recruit LeBron James to Houston." #Rocketshttps://t.co/g96qHzr3eU
None of this is all that surprising. The Rockets were a win away from going to the Finals, and could have finished the job if Paul didn't get injured. It makes sense that he'd want to re-up and run it back. Plus, Paul and LeBron are close friends, and who wouldn't want to play with their buddy -- especially when he's the best player in the world.
Still, it is noteworthy that Paul's return appears to be a done deal.