LeBron James assured Cleveland Cavaliers that he will be returning next season, affirming an earlier promise that he is not planning to play anywhere else. He is one of the remaining players who are unofficially signed, the others being J.R. Smith and head coach Tyron Lue.
While the intent of James to return is verbally official, there is not actual timetable on when he will sign on the dotted line. The Cavs star player is currently on vacation with his family following a grueling NBA season.
James will likely go over his contract options with agent Rich Paul once his schedule frees up. According to ESPN, the “King” has several options on the table.
Among the contract options for James include a one-year deal worth $27.6 million or a multi-year deal valued at $30.9 million for next season. If James bites the multi-year package, it would make him the NBA’s highest paid player.
Right now there is no telling which option James will take as he enjoys his well-deserved vacation over in Spain and Hawaii. The only thing that the Cavs and fans can do right now is wait when James is ready to make it all official.
While James’ case requires only his signature, the case with Smith and Lue are different. In Lue’s case, there is the prior contract which he signed as an assistant coach. That deal was worth $6.5 million dating back to 2014, making him the highest paid assistant coach in NBA history.
The Cavs and Lue did agree on a three-year deal verbally but no documents were signed. Both are in talks but so far nothing has materialized.
In the case of Smith, the swingman is reportedly asking a hefty $15 million per year from the Cavs, Basketball Insiders reported. His scenario right now is not that different from last year though the Cavs may prioritize James first before moving on to Smith.
Smith’s asking price would make him one of the highest paid players on the Cavs roster and add to the luxury tax woes the team already has to deal with. With rotational players now earning close to $10 million per season after the salary cap hike, the asking price is not deemed unreasonable, Cleveland.com reported.
Check out the video below covering LeBron James guaranteeing his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.