With LeBron James expected to join free agency in 2018 and reports emerging that he’s unhappy with the Cleveland Cavaliers, here are his top five options.
Life has been downright unpleasant for Cleveland Cavaliers fans ever since they experienced the joy of winning their first NBA championship. Though no one can ever take away 2016, the Cavs are on the verge of implosion, which could include losing LeBron James to free agency for a second time.
Coming off a dominant five-game Finals defeat against the unstoppable Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers were not only unable to upgrade their roster to keep up with the Dubs, but they’re also dealing with a Kyrie Irving trade request that leaves the franchise in a precarious position.
Between that and long-existing rumors of King James abdicating his Ohio throne to expand his empire out West, the Cavs could look very different in 2018-19. LeBron’s no-trade clause means he likely won’t be dealt this season, not including the simple fact that trading the greatest player in franchise history is never a good option.
But according to Sheridan Hoops‘ Chris Sheridan, Cleveland may be on the path to lose him for nothing next summer:
NBA source said today: "This will be LeBron's final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving. Relationship with owners beyond repair."
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) August 16, 2017
This echoes what Adrian Wojnarowski (formerly of The Vertical) reported about there being an impending sense King James may join one of the teams in Los Angeles. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com and Basketball Insiders‘ Alex Kennedy refuted Sheridan’s report, but either way, the Cavs are in a tricky spot.
If they trade Kyrie Irving to avoid a bad situation, a rebuild package will do little to entice LeBron to stay and continue his uphill battle against these otherworldly Warriors. Unfortunately, there’s hardly a trade package with established talent that will make up lost ground on the Dubs either.
If the Cavs can’t trade Kyrie and decide to keep him as the next cornerstone, that could push LeBron closer to the door. The question is, if the King decides to leave Cleveland again after bringing the city its first title, where might he end up?
Cap space situations will almost certainly change by the time 2018 NBA free agency rolls around, but as of right now, here are what look like his five best options.