It’s day two of LeBron James being the hottest free agent on the market. While no one knows his next move just yet, our latest update might tilt the scales in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that money isn’t the driving factor behind LeBron’s next destination — and that the King is even willing to accept the veteran minimum if it means competing for a championship.
Naturally, this opens the door to all 29 teams. Everyone has enough cap space to offer LeBron the minimum. But only one team has roots as deep as Cleveland. And money was one of the only obstacles they had to clear.
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The Cavs were never going to be able to offer James a large chunk of cash to return. Any homecoming would be contingent on James wanting to be back in Cleveland. That’s because the Cavs flat-out don’t have any money to offer.
From that perspective, the Cavs were starting this race with a heavy disadvantage. Other teams, including the Golden State Warriors, would be able to give James a contract that they couldn’t match. Now it looks like that might not matter.
Cleveland had the highest payroll in NBA history last season. They were far above the Second Apron and have been working to get below it this summer. They’ve already lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis to free agency, while James Harden has opted out of his contract to help restructure a more team-friendly deal.
All of this can work towards keeping money available for James. But if this report is true, money might not be that important.
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Of course, James won’t complain if the Cavs can offer him more. Though it sounds like that won’t be a deal-breaker. James wants happiness and an opportunity to win another title. In my opinion, Cleveland can offer both.
The Cavs made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. And while they were thumped in four games by the eventual champions — the one thing that’s been missing this entire time is a wing. Now? They might have the quintessential wing on their roster. James can complete the puzzle and make his hometown team a championship contender again. Money won’t get in the way of that.
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