Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting on LeBron James free agency and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
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The Cavs, of course, are expected to aggressively pursue James. They’ll have the cap space to sign him and potentially other free agents and still retain Kyrie Irving — although doubts remain about how much the Cavs’ former and current stars want to play together.
The Cavs have a number of non-guaranteed contracts for next season, including Anderson Varejao’s partially guaranteed deal. General Manager David Griffin said after the season ended the Cavs could clear $26 million this summer with little maneuvering and could easily get that figure over $30 million, so cap space won’t be a problem.
Convincing James to return, however, might still be tricky. The relationship between James and the Cavs is markedly better than it was in the days after he left four years ago, but one league source with knowledge of the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of negotiations, said James still harbors resentment toward owner Dan Gilbert over the infamous letter he wrote in the hours after James departed. The Cavs also might not have a roster ready to contend for a championship immediately, even with the addition of James.
“LeBron doesn’t want to play with a bunch of kids,” one source with knowledge of James’ thinking said in recent weeks. “He wants to win.”
