Despite the fact that he led the city of Cleveland to its first title in more than 50 years less than 72 hours ago, LeBron James has already been at the center of more than a few rumors concerning his future with the Cavaliers. Those rumors have left many people wondering whether or not LeBron will create a sequel to his infamous "The Decision" and leave Cleveland for a second time this summer.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith hypothesized that the post-Kobe Bryant Lakers could be a good fit for LeBron. There have also been reports about LeBron possibly heading back to Miami, joining forces with Chris Paul on the Clippers, or even heading east to play for the Knicks (at this point, how and why are the Knicks still mentioned when it comes to these kinds of high-profile rumors?!).
But unfortunately, if you're in any of those cities or root for any of those teams, you're likely going to end up being disappointed this summer based on what LeBron told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com on Wednesday morning. Just minutes before taking part in the Cavaliers' championship parade, LeBron shot down the recent rumors surrounding him by saying that he plans on returning to Cleveland next season.
"I love it here. I love being here. I love my teammates," he said. "Obviously my agent will take care of all the logistical things, but I'm happy. I've got no plans to go nowhere at this point."
Unless you want to read into that double negative LeBron just used (please don't), it sounds like a certainty that LeBron will remain in Ohio for the Cavaliers' title defense next season. That being said, he can opt out of his current deal on June 29, which he will likely do, but he'll only do it to boost his salary from about $24 million to approximately $30 million, based on next season's projected salary cap.
So to all those teams that were hoping to try and convince LeBron to sign with them in July: Maybe next year?
