Cleveland Cavaliers News: LeBron James To Re-Sign With The Cavaliers
In a move that seemed like all but a formality, All-Star forward LeBron James will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
Agent Rich Paul notifies Cavs, Lebron will sign on the 1st available signing day of free agency; details of the contract to follow
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 9, 2015
James, 30, opted-out of his contract with the Cavaliers earlier this offseason, seeking a commitment from the team to assemble a winning team on the court for years to come. With that in mind, the team acted fast in re-signing several key pieces from last year’s team, a team that went to the NBA Finals.
First, All-Star big man Kevin Love re-signed with Cavaliers, committing to Cleveland for the next five years. Up next, former New York Knick Iman Shumpert re-signed for four years after he joined the team in a mid-season trade last season. However, the one major hold up appeared to be the team re-signing forward Tristan Thompson.
Thompson, who, much like James, is a client of agent Rich Paul, was the one obstacle that the Cavaliers faced in retaining their superstar athlete. James reportedly wants the 24-year-old Thompson re-signed before committing to Cleveland again. Therefore, it appears that James will return to the team before they agree to terms with Thompson on a new deal.
As far as James’ new contract, Broussard adds that the contract is expected to be worth a reported two years, which would include a player option after the second year.
Agent Rich Paul tells Cavs today LeBron will sign 2 yr deal with player option for 2nd year. $22.97 million 1st season, $24 mill 2nd year
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 9, 2015
While it is a steep price to pay for one player, the former NBA champion and MVP has proven every year of his career to be worth that money and more. Last season, his first year back in a Cavaliers uniform, James averaged 25.3 PPG, 7.4 APG and 6.0 RPG as he led the team all the way into the NBA Finals.
With fellow All-Star teammates Kyrie Irving and Love out with injuries, James shouldered the load for the entire team in the finals. Although the team ultimately failed to win its first championship, James nearly led the team to basketball’s pinnacle on his play alone, as he posted 30.1 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 8.5 APG in the playoffs last year.
Now, the Cavaliers figure to enter next season with nearly all of their key components from last season in tow, and some familiar faces back home, as they look to capture a world championship for the city of Cleveland.
[Image by Ezra Shaw / Getty Images]
