The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off an NBA Finals appearance against the mighty Golden State Warriors in which they were outmatched in every way shape and form. LeBron James and company couldn’t get the best of Kevin Durant and the star-studded Warriors making many speculate if there could be drastic changes ahead for Cleveland.
The Cavs were expected to be major players in the offseason in terms of acquiring talent through trades and/or NBA free agency. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the team did very little to close the gap between them and Golden State.
Apparently, LeBron isn’t happy about what has transpired during the NBA offseason thus far, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today:
LeBron James, the NBA’s most powerful player and biggest star who brought the Cleveland Cavaliers their first NBA championship, is concerned about the Cavaliers’ offseason, a person close to the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The three-time NBA champion can become an unrestricted free agent next summer and all signs point to him exploring options on the open market once again with the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly a realistic destination, via Zillgitt:
James can become a free agent following the 2017-18 season, and it doesn’t take a wild imagination to see him elsewhere – especially if he feels there’s a better opportunity for him to win a championship with another team. The Lakers are mentioned as a possibility with James recruiting another star to join a young and talented core for the 2018-19 season.
The Lakers brass has done everything within their power this summer to preserve their cap space for next summer. Los Angeles intends to go all-in with their sights presumably set to signing perennial All-Stars Paul George and James.
Although things appear to look promising for the Lakers in 2018, anything can happen over the course of a year in the NBA. The Cavs could make a move to bring in another star player at some point between now and the NBA trade deadline in February or Cleveland could end up winning another title.
Needless to say, nothing is set in stone. LeBron’s future may still very well be entrenched in Cleveland, but one thing is for certain, the Lakers’ appeal is on the rise and will likely be something that draws the eye of the future Hall of Famer.