The Cleveland Cavaliers, like everyone else, are patiently (and anxiously) awaiting LeBron James’s latest decision.
It’s been roughly four weeks since James announced he would not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers. The King will be moving on after eight years wearing the purple and gold. And now, we are all still waiting for him to announce where his talents will be taken next.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, that decision has yet to be made.
“There is no decision, no choice yet, no timetable on a choice as of yet,” said Charania.
This is the longest it has taken James to make a move like this. He previously announced his decision to join Miami, return to Cleveland, and head to Los Angeles all in the earlier days of free agency. This time around, James is soaking up every bit of the process. He’s put numerous teams across the league on hold, as teams are frozen in place waiting for him to make a decision.
All the while, it’s been a never-ending loop of the same updates. James is considering a handful of teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat appear to be in the lead. But the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves have not been formally removed from the race.
“We know the teams, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Golden State, Minnesota,” said Charania. “My understanding of the last couple weeks is the focus has been primarily on the Eastern Conference teams.”
Anything is possible. James could surprise us all. But one team has consistently remained in front of the discourse:
Cleveland.
The Cavs haven’t made any major moves this summer. They’ve even had James Harden on hold as he opted out of his contract to potentially clear the way for James to return. Until there’s clarity on LeBron’s future, Harden likely won’t sign a new deal.
The appeal of returning home speaks for itself. James has a deeper connection to Cleveland than any other team he could play for. It should be no surprise that the Cavs continue to be viewed as the favorites to land LeBron one final time.
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