Lebron James finally resigned with the Cleveland Cavaliers and it was a big one.
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James, who said earlier this summer he meant to re-sign with Cleveland, will soon sign the deal, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because certain details of the deal were yet to be finalized.
“I can’t be more excited than this opportunity”, James said on an Uninterrupted video released Thursday discussing his return.
He made the announcement on Twitter, via the Bleacher Report’s Uninterrupted, saying a year ago was “magical and inspiring”. I can’t wait to get back to the wine and gold and just get the band back together.
LeBron James officially signed the three-year, $100 million contract that makes him the NBA’s highest-paid player for the first time in his career. LeBron James also has a player option for the 3rd year of his contract.
In his third season back in Cleveland, James led the Cavs to the title, the first for one of the city’s three professional sports teams since the Browns won the National Football League championship in 1964. Smith, who was recently married, shares an agent with James in Rich Paul.
The contract also includes a “trade kicker,” something that was a part of each of his previous two contracts with the Cavs, in which James would get an extra sum of money equal to 15 percent of the remaining value of his contract if he were dealt to another team. It’s a little more complicated than this, but the “over-36 rule” prevents older players from signing true max deals.
James, 31, returned to Cleveland from the Miami Heat ahead of the 2014-15 season, and he guided the Cavs to the NBA Finals in both seasons since his return.
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James posted a photo on Instagram on Friday, with him apparently signing the deal. That would value James’s performance at $63.6 million for the 2015-16 season. His new contract to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers once again may be one of the highest pay deals around the league. Lastly, let’s get J.R. done. The veteran swingman is looking for a million deal but the recent James signing could require some adjustments. He was not popular in Cleveland when he headed to South Beach, but his time and championships there may have directly led the Cavaliers to their first title when he returned home. It was James’ 12th consecutive season averaging at least 25.0 points, which is a new National Basketball Association record (previous was 11 straight seasons by Karl Malone from 1987-88 to 1997-98 and Jerry West from 1961-62 to 1971-72).
