The Cleveland Cavaliers could have half of their roster hit free agency of some sorts — including LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, Cavs management wants James all in on organizational decisions this summer that could have a lasting effect.
The Cavs prefer he give a lot of input. In past similar situations, James has skewed toward passive-aggressiveness from the shadows. Taking such a position now would only add to the anxiety the franchise is sure to feel.
Ideally for the Cavs, James would come into his exit meeting with strong opinions: Sign this guy at any cost; don’t worry about this guy; try to keep this guy, but don’t break the bank.
No, this is not how things are supposed to be done in a classic NBA hierarchy. But the reality is the Cavs prefer James to be invested in their decisions so that everyone is on the same page. It’s better than operating in a gray area, where they’re uncertain of James’ investment in working with a player going forward.
This is especially important in regard to Love. James very much pushed for the Cavs to trade for Love last summer, to the point where he was comfortable with No. 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins being included. However, James and Love didn’t particularly mesh well, on or off the court.
James is expected to opt out, become a free agent and sign a two-year contract with a player option on the second year, just like he did last summer. He’ll likely opt out next summer as well.
He wants Tristan Thompson back, and could make a case for J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert as well. Kevin Love will be the key of course.