NBA 2016-17 Season News & Updates: Will LeBron James Leave Cleveland Cavaliers to Reunite with Dwyane Wade in Chicago Bulls?
The free agency period is almost winding down, but LeBron James is yet to ink a deal with a team for the 2016-17 NBA season. Speculations are rife in the NBA community that the last season's NBA Finals MVP will dump Cleveland Cavaliers' offer to re-sign and switch to Chicago Bulls to form a super-team with his best friend, Dwyane Wade.
Is The James-Wade Reunion Possible?
Speculations about James' departure from the Cavaliers for a lucrative deal and ambitious game plan with the Bulls started to pop up after his recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
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The 31-year-old NBA superstar revealed that he is motivated to chase the achievements of the legendary Michael Jordan. After all, the retired basketball player has always been his inspiration in the court. He added that it would be an extraordinary honor for him if ever he surpasses the Hall of Famer's record as the greatest NBA player.
James' statement immediately ignited speculations that he will be signing with the Bulls. This was the team where Jordan achieved most of his NBA honors including six NBA championships, six NBA Finals MVP awards and five NBA Season MVP recognitions.
Sports analyst Sam Smith told NBA.com that James' departure from the Cavaliers is actually possible given the fact that his close friend Wade is already with the Bulls. Smith explained that James is already done with his promise of bringing championship to the Cavaliers. He is now free to leave to team up with Wade and the Bulls' promising roster for the 2016-17 NBA season.
"Wade and LeBron together again in a major media market. Hey, you can't say no to anything in this NBA," Smith stated.
James' Commitment with The Cavaliers
Amid speculations that James will be reuniting with Wade in the Windy City, fans of the Cavaliers are confident that the NBA superstar will keep his promise of re-signing with the reigning NBA champion. ESPN reported last month that James has committed to return to the Cavaliers to defend the team's championship. However, there is no fixed schedule yet about the negotiation and contract signing.
According to the report, James is still studying what type of contract to sign for the 2016-17 NBA season. The NBA superstar has lucrative contract choices under NBA rules, including a $27.5-million one-year deal and a $30.8-million multiyear contract.
While the multiyear deal would make James the highest paid player in the history of the league, sports analysts believe that the NBA superstar will most likely go with the one-year deal. This is because the flexibility of contract would matter to James' superstar status.
