Photo: Peter Baba

LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers came only after he explored another familiar option.

Before signing in free agency, James reportedly met with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ leadership in early July.

NBA insider Shams Charania revealed he was aware of the meeting but chose not to report it because the information had been shared confidentially.

While appearing on the Game Over podcast, Charania caught Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul off guard by bringing up the meeting.

“Now, you tell me Rich if I’m right or wrong. Is it, the Cavs front office group, Koby Altman, Brandon Weems, the Gilbert family, Grant Gilbert, meeting with LeBron in early July in Akron?” Charania said.

“Wait a minute, how did you know about that?” Paul said.

Charania explained his decision to stay quiet.

“In real time, the integrity aspect matters more than anything because this was information I was told by multiple people on background, off the record. This was something that, ethically, I couldn’t report,” Charania said.

James ultimately signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia.

According to Paul, the 76ers only emerged as a legitimate destination after trading for Jaylen Brown, a move that helped convince James to make the switch.

LeBron James secretly met with Cavaliers front office in early July https://t.co/Bgz6IuEGTx pic.twitter.com/RgNaRPXlMa