Lebron James To Return To His Homeland Cleveland Again?
LeBron James ignited the NBA world at last year’s All-Star Weekend in Cleveland when he suggested that he would someday sign a deal with the Cavaliers.
In February of last year, James told The Athletic, “The door’s not closed on that.” “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”
Lebron James To Return To Homeland Cleveland Again?
Is James’ third tenure with the Cavaliers possible as his career comes to a close?
It’s crucial to note that James took care not to announce that he will return to Cleveland to play.
https://twitter.com/AngelaW47586481/status/1600081463780966400?s=20&t=S13cf_CEqp-hnU2QdX4U7Qnbsp;
James, a native of Northeast Ohio, has frequently professed his desire to someday own an NBA team. Could he have been hinting that he intended to join a future Cavs ownership group if his Las Vegas intentions fall through? Could that be the typical Cavalier “retirement” contract of one day?
Putting aside the intricacies of James’ highly deliberate word choice, a few factors will have a significant impact on his choice in the future.
LeBron James tweaked his ankle again over the weekend, but is officially listed as probable for tomorrow's nationally televised showdown against #Cavs. He isn't missing his lone visit to Cleveland this season https://t.co/vSIeqp0w5W
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 6, 2022
James has publicly stated that his goal is to play with his son Bronny in the NBA before retiring. James added in the same interview with The Athletic that “my last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be.”
Since then, James has agreed to a contract deal that will keep him in Los Angeles at least through the 2023–24 season, with an additional player option for the 2024–25 season. As a result, the earliest James may be “free” is the 2024 summer.
2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
LeBron James | $44,474,988 | $46,900,000 | $50,652,000 (PO) | UFA |
James has played through each of his contracts during the course of his 20-year career and has never been traded in the middle of a season, but he has made use of his free-agency status more than once — three times, to be exact.
LeBron James return to Cleveland tonight averaging 29.4 pts 7.3 ast 7.1 Reb when facing off against this Cleveland cavaliers franchise.
The goat gonna be ready for sure tonight in Cleveland.😤 pic.twitter.com/g7maJV0mWX
— Goat James (@dl8521360) December 6, 2022
It appears that James’ behaviour may be just as deliberate as his words. In 2024, the same offseason that Bronny becomes eligible for the draft, James has the choice to become a free agent. While the Cavaliers have recently parted with a lot of draft capital, they do hold the first-round pick in one of the following seven drafts—the NBA Draft—in 2024.
Of course, this is just speculation, and in 2024 James might still be focusing on his retirement tour and Bronny might not be NBA-ready yet.
But winning is a definite aspect of the situation that might bring LeBron back to Cleveland.
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