The players are now turning into GMs, making direct public pitches to the most-watched unrestricted free agent on the market. After Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, and Yaxel Lendeborg courted LeBron James for the Golden State Warriors, more NBA players have stepped up their game. Anthony Davis confirmed he’s publicly recruiting his former teammate, and now, James Harden and his teammate have thrown the Cavaliers’ hat into the ring as well.

“I hope he come to Cleveland,” Harden said. “It’s a perfect storybook finish. He’s at home, you know, for maybe his last year. You know but he’s going to decide like he’s smart enough. And I don’t think anybody’s pitch is gonna move him. You know what I mean. So wherever he decides, obviously the team’s gonna be a lot better.”

The NBA stars had descended upon Fanatics Fest in New York City, and everyone had made their interest in being Bron’s teammate clear. Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden said he wants to see the league’s all-time leading scorer return to his home state for a legendary final chapter alongside him and Donovan Mitchell.

It does appear that Rich Paul is indicating The Beard is not a big draw for LeBron to the Cavs. But he does admit that whether it’s Draymond or himself, Bron isn’t going to be moved by these pitches. Many did try, though.

The recruitment fervor at Fanatics Fest was not limited to Harden. Big man Anthony Davis sent the rumor mill into overdrive by hinting at conversations regarding a completely unexpected destination.

When a Wizards fan at the event explicitly asked, “Any chance LeBron James comes to DC?” Davis played coy and teased, “Maybe. We had some conversations.”

Meanwhile, Cleveland’s resident franchise cornerstone, Donovan Mitchell, enthusiastically doubled down on the homecoming narrative to ESPN Cleveland.

“I mean it’s home, we’ve done it once, let’s do it again, simple as that,” Mitchell remarked when asked about his personal pitch to lure James back to Ohio.

The man at the center of the basketball universe also made an appearance at the event, recording an episode of his Mind the Game podcast alongside Tyrese Haliburton. James, who is carefully weighing options between heavily rumored frontrunners like the Cavs, Warriors, Heat, and 76ers, addressed the massive speculation.

“I won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” while emphasizing he’s looking for a team that “shares the same model as myself, and that’s like practicing championship (habits) every day, but trusting the process more than anything.”

On the same podcast, even Haliburton attempted to draw him to the Pacers. And that’s not discounting the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been pitching a different homecoming to the Miami Heat indirectly. 

At the same fan event, Adam Silver was urging him to make the decision soon, as the NBA schedule is effectively stalled till he picks a team. The fever pitch on James’ free agency got so crazy, fans thought his comment to “Trust the Process” meant he’s decided to join Joel Embiid, aka The Process, in Philadelphia. But James quickly shut that down, too.

Amid all the active public pitches from friends and NBA stars, LeBron James is taking his own sweet time.