NBA rumors: All signs point to LeBron to the Cavs, Kawhi investigation timeline and more

With all eyes, ears, and poker chips currently in Vegas, the NBA news cycle has slowed down a hair. But general managers, agents, and, in this specific case, the league front office, never stop working in this business.

Here is the latest round up on how the gears are shifting with some of the league's biggest NBA rumors.

Is a Cleveland/LeBron return a done deal?

Easily the most discussed subject on any NBA talk show right now is the question of where LeBron James will end up signing in what seems to be his last iteration of The Decision? And unlike the first time, when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for what he believed were greener pastures. This go around, it seems like James is going to choose the team that drafted him over two decades ago.

A couple of days ago, Sam Amick of The Athletic mentioned an interview that Cavaliers' head coach Kenny Atkinson did on SiriusXM, where he was noticeably giddy about the team's chances of adding who many believe to be the greatest player of all-time. Here is Amick's direct quote on the matter:

"The most telling behavior thing publicly is Kenny Atkinson just openly talking on SiriusXM Radio about them being in the running for maybe the best player of all time. And his energy, he is going to take some flak from Cavs fans if they don't get him. He was maybe a little over his skis there and I am not sure if that is a sign of optimism from him or something else, but yeah, I am not sure which way it is going to go."

Atkinson isn't the only one feeling good about Cleveland's chances. Kevin Durant, one of James' greatest contemporaries, also thinks that The King is returning back to The Land. Although, he still believes the Philadelphia 76ers have a puncher's chance.

At the end of the day, we won't truly know where James is headed until he wants it to be known. There has been so much conflicting reporting on this matter. For instance, yesterday, everyone was convinced that James to the Golden State Warriors was a done deal, and just last week, many believed them to be out of the race entirely. It's cliché, I know. But in this instance, time really will tell.

Kawhi Leonard investigation will be done before start of the season

When the Toronto Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard, we all assumed that they did so because they had gotten assurances from sort of source of authority that the Los Angeles Clippers nor the two-time Finals MVP would receive sanctions for their alleged involvement with Aspiration.

However, last week, the league put a pause on the deal and mentioned that the investigation is still ongoing -- not really giving us a specific timetable of when their internal jury would reach its verdict.

Now, we have some more clarity on the matter. On Tuesday, the Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, spoke to media about the matter. He conceded that the investigation has gone on far longer than it should have and stated that it needs to be wrapped up before the start of the season.

I'm glad that Silver has some self-awareness in this instance. It's ridiculous that we don't have an answer to an investigation that has been going on for over a year now. Personally, I'm hoping for minimal sanctions because that Raptors team with Leonard is going to be a whole bucket of fun.

Jalen Duren/Detroit Pistons extension talks not progressing

While the James situation may be the decision of the summer and the Leonard trade could be the trade of the summer, the Detroit Pistons extension talks with Jalen Duren could be the stalemate of the summer.

Duren wants to get paid like a star. The Pistons view him as more of just a really good player. Duren doesn't really have too much leverage, but Detroit also needs a starting center (especially after trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies).

Unfortunately, there hasn't been any real progress made on this front. In a recent NBA TV appearance, NBA Insider Chris Haynes was entertaining the idea of Duren threatening the Pistons by saying he was going to sign the qualifying offer. This would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning the Pistons run the risk of losing one of their most valuable assets for nothing.

Haynes also mentioned that these restricted free agency stalmates tend to go on deep into the offseason. So, if you were a Pistons' fan hoping to hear that this whole fiasco is nearing its resolution, buckle up, because it looks like we're in for a long ride.

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