LeBron og Shaq reyndu að fá Ariza til Cleveland

Samkvæmt þessu ætlar LeBron að vera áfram hjá Cleveland eftir næsta sumar... 

James reportedly told soon-to-be-Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza that he is going to re-sign with Cleveland after his contract expires next year.

ESPN.com, citing an unnamed "person close to Ariza," reports James made the statement as part of a pitch to get Ariza to renege on his earlier verbal commitment to the Rockets and agree to join the Cavs.

"Trevor asked LeBron if he would be in Cleveland after next season," ESPN quoted the source as saying. "And LeBron said, 'I'll be there. Of course, I'll be there.' "

Ariza apparently didn't buy the line; after all, James would have his choice of teams if he puts himself on the open market a year from now.

"(Ariza) thought it was just a recruiting tool," the source told ESPN.com. "LeBron definitely said it, but until he signs the contract it doesn't mean much."

New Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal also recruited Ariza for Cleveland, ESPN.com reported, but neither O'Neal nor James could provide Ariza what he wanted, which was a guaranteed starting spot. The transitioning Rockets have agreed to put him in the lineup, the Web site added.

HookUp:  The Baseline