Out of the 30 NBA teams, perhaps no organization has had as unpredictable an offseason as the Cleveland Cavaliers. David Griffin resigned from his position as general manager amidst speculation regarding a Kyrie Irving trade request and uncertainty about LeBron James long term plans with the organization.
With a no-trade clause and one season remaining on his contract, James is set to enter a historic 2018 free agency class, already being linked to the Los Angeles Lakers. The rumors began to gain momentum when it was reported that James purchased a home in the Los Angeles area, with his family intending on going to school in California.
After the initial surge, the NBA offseason has now turned calm, with most teams gearing up towards training camp. It is during this time that players often get anxious to return to playing the game that they love, as was the case with James:
Man I need some run!! Where y'all hooping at?? Off season please hurry up and end, I have basketball Jones!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 9, 2017
James, now entering his 15th season, still seems as hungry as ever, even during a troubling time for his franchise. The 13-time All-Star has gone to social media to express how hungry and passionate he is towards this next season, after coming off the NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors.
After sending his tweet out, James received responses from various NBA players and former teammates. One of the players to garner a response was Jamal Crawford. Although Crawford recently signed a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he spends much of his offseason in Seattle, his hometown. Crawford asked for James to make a cameo in his neck of the woods, to which James responded with a slight hint involving his potential new home:
May have to make a day trip up there when I'm back home in LA bro!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 9, 2017
The front office of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have used this offseason as a stepping-stone to the 2018 free agency period, focusing on freeing up space towards two possible max deals with many viewing James and Paul George as the most likely.
Many things can be interpreted from the single response, including the obvious connection between he and the Lakers. Los Angeles has been referred to as a serious contender, with James considering the Lakers as a ‘viable destination’.