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NBA Rumors: LeBron James opts out, will test free agency

By Josh Hill

Jun 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) signals to the crowd during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) signals to the crowd during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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LeBron James is a free agent, and it’s now up to the Cleveland Cavaliers to convince him to come back in 2015-16.

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For the second time in as many years, LeBron James is a free agent and able to sign with anyone he wants. The Cavaliers star opted out of his contract with the team on Sunday afternoon and will officially be without a team when free agency arrives on July 1st.

According to Brian Windhorst from ESPN.com, the Cavaliers were formally notified that LeBron James would be opting out and hitting the free agent market on July 1st.

If you are shocked at all by this, then you haven’t been paying attention at all to what LBJ’s plans have been. This isn’t so much a threat against the Cavaliers as much as it is a power move. LeBron is simply flexing his muscles to let Dan Gilbert know that he doesn’t own him and can’t tell him to come back.

When July 1st rolls around, LeBron James will have technically left Cleveland — but with one stroke of a willing pen, he’s back. That’s the end game everyone wants here, but LeBron isn’t dumb and knows that the Cavaliers need to be pushed into making the roster better.

That whole deal last summer where he opted out on the Heat and then scorched Pat Riley wasn’t so much about Riley as it was about preemptively letting Cleveland know that he can bolt if he wants to. If Dan Gilbert and David Griffin think for half a minute that King James won’t take his crown to another kingdom, then they’re sorely mistaken.

Phil Jackson is in control of a dumpster fire in New York that suddenly becomes a day spa if LeBron James decides to go to the Knicks. The Clippers are instantly NBA Finals favorites if LeBron signs there, and the universe would fold into itself if he reunited with Andrew Wiggins and made the Minnesota Timberwolves into a contender.

None of those things will happen, but they’re on the table and Cleveland needs to realize that and move quickly to convince LeBron to come back.

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