LeBron James Remains a Free Agent: Will NBA Finals MVP Choose Money Over Loyalty to Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016-17 Season?
While some NBA franchises have already formed super-teams, LeBron James remains a free agent as of present time. Fans of the NBA Finals MVP are now wondering if the 31-year-old basketball superstar will choose money over loyalty to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016-17 Season.
James Isn't Going Anywhere
For several weeks now, James has been mysteriously taking a long time to ink a deal with an NBA team. After bringing a championship to the Cavaliers in the latest NBA season and after showcasing one of the best performances in his basketball career, there were speculations that the NBA superstar will leave his former team for a more lucrative offer.
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But sources of ESPN revealed that James will definitely re-sign with the Cavaliers. According to them, James already told the reigning NBA champion team that he will be signing another contract with them, however, there was no schedule yet about the negotiation and contract signing.
The ESPN sources added that James is not in a rush of inking a deal as he is enjoying his time off the court with his family. After the break, he will brainstorm with his agent Rich Paul about his possible contract options.
Why James Still Hasn't Re-Signed With The Cavaliers?
According to Andrew Lynch of Fox Sports, there are several possible reasons why James is mysteriously taking a long time to re-sign with the Cavaliers, but one thing is for sure, he is carefully studying his next move. He said James is obviously contemplating what type of deal to sign.
Lynch said that under the NBA rules, James has two options. He can sign a one-year contract worth up to $27.6 million or become NBA's highest paid player by inking a multi-year deal with an annual salary of $30.9 million. Lynch added that while the multi-year contract is bigger, it needs serious consideration since being locked into a longer deal would mean a lot to an NBA superstar like James.
"He could always surprise everybody and sign a long-term deal with the Cavs, but that's not expected until at least next season when we're expecting to see our last big jump in the salary cap," Zach Harper of CBS Sports wrote. He explained that James' max contract comes with a percentage of the cap, therefore, a bigger multiyear contract would be unappealing compared to the year-to-year flexibility with his increasing salary.
James holds the record as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer. He is also among the most decorated NBA players in the league's history with three NBA championships, four NBA MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals.
