Once LeBron James becomes a free agent in 2018, people around the NBA feel like the Cleveland Cavaliers have no guarantee that their superstar will be returning, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Instead, it could even be “likely” James will be L.A. bound.
“Not only is there no guarantee he’s coming back, I’m not sure there’s an expectation he’s re-signing there,” said Wojnarowski on the latest Vertical Podcast. “I think they feel, I think within Cleveland and around the league, they feel that he’s very much in play to leave again and likely head out West to one of the two L.A. teams. The Lakers could very well be a target.”
The other L.A.-based team would be the Clippers. Wojnarowski also mentioned that the Miami Heat could be another possible destination for James, an organization he won two championships with after leaving Cleveland in 2010.
The Cavaliers are fresh off a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. While the Cavaliers are favourites to return to next year’s Finals, James could be looking to open another chapter in his illustrious career, one that could involve far more than just basketball.
“I think the focus, a lot of LeBron’s — his business interests, his Hollywood aspirations, his media ventures are based out there,” said Wojnarowski.
James received a lot of backlash when he left Cleveland the first time, but now that he’s delivered a championship to the city, it makes sense that LeBron will focus on the best options for his career in the summer of 2018.
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