Fresh off delivering the Cleveland Cavaliers their first-ever National Basketball Association championship, LeBron James finally signed his new contract.
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Could J.R. Smith really leave the Cavaliers if they continue to have a contract dispute?
LeBron James is returning to the Cavaliers on a three-year, $100 million deal, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal. It’s highly unlikely that Irving, who’s become very close to James over the last 2 seasons, abandons a chance at glory with knowledge that LeBron still has another year with the team. In his announcement, King James himself shared that the Kevin Love team must now focus on the former New York Knicks star. “I’m ecstatic. I can’t wait to see my guys, I can’t wait to get back out there in the wine and gold and just get the band back together”.
The season begins October 25 in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers will raise their first championship banner against the retooled New York Knicks, which acquired Derrick Rose from the Bulls in June. He’s referring to the fact that Smith is still a free agent, because he hasn’t struck a deal yet with GM David Griffin. They followed that up with a second trip to the NBA Finals, and this time capped it off with a historic win.
Also, the league has reduced the number of back-to-back games teams will face this season.
The three-time champion averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the series and posted a triple-double in Game 7. He opted out of a $5.2 contract for the 2016-2017 NBA Season and the shooting guard is expected to demand a higher contract that will run for two or three years.
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James, the four-time MVP who led the Cavs to their first-ever title in Cleveland last season, announced the decision in a video on the Bleacher Report platform, Uninterrupted, that was produced for his fans. The team finishes out the regular season with nine of their final 12 games at TD Garden, including a season-high six game homestand.
