For the third time in just six seasons, Cleveland Cavaliers star forward LeBron James will become an unrestricted free agent.
The catch this time? He most likely won’t be on the move, as James is expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
James will not exercise a $21.6 million player option on his contract, a person with knowledge to the situation told the Associated Press on Sunday.
James’ decision has been widely expected since the beginning of the season. The approach will allow James to sign a new maximum contract- possibly a two year deal with another player option for 2017-18-that will pay him more than he would have made under his previous contract. His max number for season, which is tied to how high the salary cap rises, is predicted to be more than $22 million.
The last time James became a free agent from Cleveland was in 2010, when he famously left his home state for the sunny Florida weather, joining the Miami Heat. In Miami, he went to 4 championships, winning two of those.
This time around will be different, as James has been expected to take a wait-and-see approach to the roster but is expected to resign in hopes to snap the 51-year championship drought in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers have multiple decisions to make in free agency, including possibly re-signing Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert. The process for James should be fairly easy for Cleveland.
Last season, James was forced to play almost all of the NBA Finals after injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love made the Cavaliers roster short-handed. James would put on a terrific show, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in almost 46 a game. The Warriors would come out on top though, winning their first NBA championship since 1975.
