Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is preparing to enter the free-agent market, with the possibility existing that he could once again leave to play for another team. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that James has a strong preference for keeping the status quo in place.
Windhorst: “I think LeBron’s preference is to stay in Cleveland. … I think he’s looking for reasons to want to stay in Cleveland.”
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) June 18, 2018
James is looking to play for a team that has a chance to win an NBA title, which fits the Cavaliers’ current situation. Heading elsewhere doesn’t necessarily guarantee that, with some of the most prominent teams mentioned either not currently at that level (Los Angeles), still developing its talent (Philadelphia) or in a situation where salary-cap issues could cause problems (Houston).
From a family perspective, James would presumably prefer to stay in the area where he grew up and currently lives in a multi-million dollar mansion with his wife and three children. Uprooting his life to enter a potentially uncertain situation after 15 years in the NBA is no doubt unappealing to the veteran.
James still has to officially notify the Cavaliers that he plans on becoming a free agent, which is essentially considered to be a formality. Speculation has been high for much of the past year about where James could end up, talk that could eventually become a moot point if he does decide to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
