Whenever LeBron James winds up looking Kawhi Leonard in the eyes again – either at the Lakers free agency meeting on Sunday or Monday in Los Angeles or perhaps some sort of side session at the James family’s home in nearby Brentwood soon thereafter – he’ll steer clear of the dirty free agency politics.



The Lakers star won’t waste time telling the two-time Finals MVP why it could be a bad idea to sign with the crosstown Clippers, whose business and basketball brand still pales in comparison to the storied purple and gold. He won’t dissect the Toronto Raptors in any kind of unseemly way, even if there’s a conversation to be had about whether the reigning champions can remain among the elite for the long term. Nor will he bother to break down the Knicks, who are still harboring hopes of pulling off the longest of long shots with Leonard.



No, this high-level hoops discussion that could lead to the formation of the league’s...