One day after announcing that he would return to Cleveland, LeBron James has reportedly agreed to sign a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal will also give him the option to opt out and once again become a free agent in the summer of 2015.
LeBron Signs Two-Year Deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers
With an eye toward the future of the cap, LeBron James has agreed to a 2-year deal with the Cavs: http://t.co/MqMA654Des
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 12, 2014
LeBron is expecting the salary cap to jump massively in 2016, James aims to re-sign at that time. Fully committed to Cavs long term.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 12, 2014
By signing for only two years, James will likely be able to negotiate a long term deal for more money with the team before the 2016-17 season, when the NBA’s salary cap is expected to be as high as $80 million. The NBA/NBAPA CBA ends prior to that season and it is expected that a much more player friendly deal can be negotiated at that time.
While the unexpected short-term deal will surely lead to even more speculation about his future, the move is simply a smart business decision on James’ part, and should not be a concern for the Cavaliers given his essay where he claimed he would spend the rest of his career in Cleveland, and that he was coming home.
Speculation continues to be rampant that the Cavaliers are set to add more players such as free agents Ray Allen and/or Mike Miller, and star Minnesota Timberwolves big man Kevin Love in the coming days and weeks.
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