Report: Popovich will try to sell LeBron on the Spurs

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will try to force his way into the LeBron James conversation this summer, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Popovich will pursue James by selling him on the merits of South Texas, reports Stein.

James' anticipated unrestricted free agency begins July 1. He's expected to draw interest from several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. But San Antonio represents an intriguing option, given both the presence of Popovich and the uncertainty around Kawhi Leonard's long-term future with the team.

One thing is clear: The Spurs don't have a lot of flexibility in terms of salary cap space, with $78 million in guaranteed contracts on the books for next season, and that assumes both Danny Green and Rudy Gay opt out of their existing deals. The team can also offer Leonard a five-year supermax contract worth upwards of $200 million this summer, a possibility that remains up in the air.

San Antonio, despite its two-decade run of dominance and five NBA championships, was never considered a top free-agent destination until LaMarcus Aldridge signed with the Spurs in 2015. However, James and Popovich have a well-known mutual respect for each other, with LeBron calling the coach "one of my all-time favorite people" this season.