New York Knicks pushing for another meeting, but James stays mum on holiday

The Cavs and Bulls are believed to be the favorites with the New Jersey Nets still in the game mostly because of James' relationship with part owner Jay-Z.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerAlthough Sunday's holiday was a seemingly quiet one for LeBron James, the Knicks are reportedly hoping to get another meeting if they acquire Amar'e Stoudemire.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It may have seemed like the wild moments in the LeBron James sweepstakes were past after six different teams visited him in Cleveland last week. But that was just the organized part.

Now it could get very interesting.

James and fellow top free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade did not have any further meetings with teams scheduled as of Sunday. But none had given an indication of when they were going to make up their minds, which only will lead to suspense and growing intrigue.

It got a little thicker Sunday when the New York Daily News reported that New York Knicks officials had a meeting with James' agent, Leon Rose, on Saturday in Cleveland. It was the second meeting with James' camp in three days, though James did not attend this one.

The Knicks, reportedly nearing a deal with free agent Amar'e Stoudemire, may have looked to make a fresh pitch to James. Part of James' interest in meeting with teams last week, sources said, was to challenge them on what other players they could put around him. However, the absence of James at the meeting could have been telling.

When the Knicks left its meeting with James last Thursday, team officials said they hoped James would meet with the team again, perhaps in New York, before making a decision.

According to multiple league sources, the Knicks were trailing other competitors in the running to sign James. The Cavs and Bulls are believed to be the favorites with the New Jersey Nets still in the game mostly because of James' relationship with part owner Jay-Z.

The Knicks are hoping to improve their position by landing Stoudemire, who would represent the biggest transaction of the much-anticipated summer and the first star to change teams.

There are signs that James will take some time to make up his mind and announce a decision. Starting Monday, James will host Nike's LeBron James Skills Academy. It is one of the signature events of Nike's summer schedule and will feature the top 80 high school players in the country along with some of the top college players acting as counselors.

It runs until Wednesday night at the University of Akron and it is believed James will wait until after the event ends before making a commitment.

Several sources who have spoken to James camp said that James remains non-committal about his decision or what his timetable might be.