LeBron James will almost certainly assess whether he feels the Cleveland Cavaliers are in position to contend for championships when he makes his latest free agency decision this offseason, but that does not mean he is going to tell the team what needs to happen in order for them to re-sign him.
While LeBron could make it easier on the Cavs by explaining exactly what he wants, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “The Woj Pod” this week that he does not expect James to do that.
“Unless LeBron breaks from his past, when the season ends there’s not going to be an exit interview,” Windhorst said. “He’s just gonna leave. There will be no conversations with LeBron James about what to do with the draft pick or, ‘Hey LeBron, what about your option you have for next year? Are you gonna pick that up? What if we trade the No. 8 pick for Player X?’ Unless LeBron changes his modus operandi, he will go dark.”
Windhorst also said the narrative of LeBron basically being the general manager of the Cavs is overblown.
“There are times when LeBron exerts pressure on the Cavs franchise and tries to leverage them into doing things. At the same time, he runs away from that at times,” Windhorst said. “He doesn’t want to take ownership of decisions because he wants to be able to have the freedom to blame the organization and/or leave the organization.”
This is the problem the Cavs have with LeBron. He basically leaves the team in limbo, so they have to tread the line between doing enough to convince him to stay and not risking their entire future if he bolts again. That’s the reason we have heard reports that Cleveland is hesitant to trade the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick that they acquired in the Kyrie Irving deal.
LeBron’s easiest path to the NBA Finals is remaining in the Eastern Conference, so he will probably end up sticking with the Cavs. However, a lot of speculation is swirling about him potentially joining an up and coming team in the East.
