LeBron James will likely opt out of his current contract this summer, but most people assume he is going to remain with the Miami Heat. Chandler Parsons isn’t most people.
If the Heat go on to lose to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, Parsons believes LeBron will opt out and sign elsewhere. Considering he was talking like the Heat have already lost, the Houston Rockets forward seems pretty certain that LeBron’s days in Miami are numbered.
“I think if they would have won the championship it would have been a different story and they would have come back to do it again, but he’s got so much responsibility,” Parsons said during an appearance on ESPN’s Sports Nation. “He’s obviously one of the best players if not the best player … so I think them losing will make him make a move and opt out and you’ll see him in a different jersey next year.”
Optimists would tell you that the Heat still have a chance to win their third straight title, but given the way the Spurs have dominated them that seems highly unlikely. Parsons, who is expected to become a restricted free agent, could have simply been trying to stir the pot.
“I just don’t think he’ll be back with the Heat,” Parsons added. “I think he’s done all he can do there and I think it’s time for him to move on.”
For further evidence that Parsons was just looking to get people talking, he also said he could envision LeBron going back to Cleveland.
Personally, I don’t see why James would leave. Pat Riley has shown he can put winning teams together, and there is already talk about Carmelo Anthony potentially going to Miami. Why would LeBron risk having to basically start over in the middle of his career? If he stays with the Heat, he can continue build his own legacy.
Video via Pro Basketball Talk
