The Cleveland Cavaliers know LeBron James won’t be going anywhere in free agency.
They just don’t know when he’s going to make his return official.
Per Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:
LeBron James has yet to notify the Cleveland Cavaliers when he intends to re-sign, league sources informed cleveland.com during NBA Summer League.
July 7 was the day free agents were officially able to sign contracts.
Team officials have reached out to the camp of James for an answer to no avail, sources say. However, there are some officials within the organization who don’t view the situation as a concern.
Again, James isn’t going anywhere. It’s not going to happen. He just brought the Cavaliers their first-ever NBA title and stated at the championship parade he had no intentions to leave. And at this stage in free agency, so many contracts have been signed elsewhere, that even if he actually wanted to bolt, his market would be pretty limited.
The delay in his decision is probably just a leverage play—his way of making sure the Cavaliers take care of their own incumbent free agents, operating as a team over the cap, rather than get pocket shy the way his Miami Heat did before 2013-14.
To that end, while the Cavaliers have already bid farewell to Matthew Dellavedova, they inked Richard Jefferson to a two-year deal. All that’s left for them to do now is get J.R. Smith under lock and key.
Not only was he super important, on both ends of the floor, to the Cavaliers’ championship run, but he’s the last feasible obstacle standing between Cleveland and James’ signature.
