LeBron James was faced with a decision regarding his NBA future, as the deadline for whether or not he was going to opt out was Wednesday at midnight.
Sure enough, he made the decision, and to the surprise of no one, he’s elected to opt out of his 2016-17 option with the Cavs and will become a free agent July 1. ESPN’s Chris Broussard had the scoop, which came from James’ agent, Rich Paul.
LeBron James will not exercise his player option with the Cavs for next season, according to agent Rich Paul. Deadline was Wed @ midnight
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 29, 2016
This doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving the team, however, and likely won’t. James is fully aware of this year’s salary cap boom stemming from the league’s new TV deal, which could result in him getting a better deal, and also bringing in a friend or two to play alongside him. Right now, he’s on a banana boat with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, and it’s certainly possible that one (or maybe even two) of those guys could join him in Cleveland. He’s expressed the desire to play alongside CP3 in the past, although with Kyrie Irving in the mix, that seems like a longshot.
The real question is whether James will sign a short or long-term deal with the Cavs. It would make sense for him to sign a one-and-one deal, as this would keep him in the driver’s seat, with the option to remain with the team or play elsewhere after the 2016-17 season.