The season of LeBron James speculation is upon us.
As you know unless you’ve spent the last year living in antarctica studying penguins, LeBron is a free agent next summer. Speculation that he could leave Cleveland again has simmered quietly for years, but the temperature has been turned up in recent months. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert turned up the knob himself pushing GM David Griffin out the door without a Plan B in place.
Then to add to it, LeBron posted to Instagram this weekend photos of himself on a boat in and around Biscayne Bay, including this photo of the arena where he won his first rings.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/BWlhNeFBNOV/?taken-by=kingjames[/embed]
This raised the hopes of some Heat fans of a reconciliation. Could LeBron return to Miami? The Heat know nothing about it, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.LeBron James’ Instagram posts Saturday might raise hopes among some Heat fans of a James return, but the Heat does not believe James has serious interest in returning, with the thought that he will stay in Cleveland or go to the Lakers....
Again, the Heat has been given zero indication that James - a free agent next summer - would have interest in coming back and isn’t expecting that.
The buzz around the league is that LeBron may well move on from Cleveland, but he’s going to leave all his options open. LeBron wants to have choices, and he’s put himself in a position to have them. The Lakers have been rumored, staying in Cleveland is a real possibility, but LeBron is going to play out his season then look at all his options and decide. Miami could be one of those options.
But an unlikely one. Miami could clear the cap space to get him — they would have to dump the salaries of guys like Tyler Johnson and Dion Waiters — but with Goran Dragic as a free agent, would this Heat team be poised to make a leap? Not likely, and not in an East where Boston is getting stronger and there could be other teams on the rise such as Milwaukee. Miami should be a playoff team next season, but not one where the addition of LeBron makes them a threat to the Celtics, or ultimately the Warriors.
This season is going to be like the season before LeBron left Cleveland previously, every little action is going to be scrutinized and read for clues. Post a photo and say you have great memories and fans will leap to conclusions, even if that was not his intention.
