NBA Free Agency 2018: One reason LeBron James should sign with every team
By Ben Ladner
Cleveland Cavaliers
The reasons not to stay in Cleveland have been made plain over the last six months. James had to carry a deeply flawed roster that couldn’t provide what little extra it takes to make a LeBron-led team a bona fide contender. James’ teammates let him down at every turn, requiring superhuman efforts from him just to stay alive in the postseason. The team has limited flexibility to re-tool its personnel over the summer. To lock in to another five years in Cleveland would likely be a surrendering of an opportunity to chase more titles.
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And yet, there are plenty of reasons for LeBron to stay. He grew up in Akron; he was drafted by the Cavs; he’s burned them before, only to come back and deliver the city’s first championship in half a century; his family is based there; Cleveland can offer him more money and more years than any other team. Even if winning championships is James’ primary motivation in free agency, it won’t be his only one. Family will be a key factor, and simply remaining in Cleveland places the least strain on that part of his life. Perhaps LeBron feels that he can reach the Finals no matter where he goes (he might not be wrong) and that the Cavs are the safest and most amenable destination.
Cleveland seems to be drifting further and further from the inside track to sign James, but it belongs in the conversation nonetheless.