Whether you find it surprising or not, Lebron James has decided to opt out of his final two seasons with the Miami Heat. As of July 1, the world’s greatest basketball player, as fans call him, will become a free agent. This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that he will automatically be leaving the team that he led to two championships in the last three year. All it means is he will be able to sign with another team if he chooses too.
According to ESPN James’s agent, Rich Paul, informed the Heat that his client was electing to exercise his right to opt out of his current contract. Heat president Pat Riley said, as reported by ESPN, “I was informed this morning of his intentions. We fully expected LeBron to opt out and exercise his free-agent rights, so this does not come as a surprise.” Lebron would make approximately $42.7 million in the next two years under his current contract, yet he is still opting to receive options to potentially leave his current team.
After joining the Heat back in 2010, leading the team to four championships and winning two of them, Lebron may just be getting restless in Miami. Still, he will meet with the Heat to allow the team to offer him a better contract. On July 1 though, the rest of the league will have a shot at luring King James away from the sunny shores of South Beach.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh might be Miami’s best bet at keeping James on its roster. As the other two members of Miami’s “big three,” James will sit down with his teammates as he decides his future. James explained, as reported by The Guardian, “There’s a conversation that will be had between the three of us. I think it’s only right. I think we’ve earned that for each other, to have a conversation and see what could possibly happen.” Wade and Bosh will both be able to opt out of their contracts soon as well, though neither of them have confirmed or denied what their plans are.
Lebron is not the only valuable player to recently opt out of his current contract. New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony has also announced that he will soon be in the market for a new team. Anthony though, will be less likely to stay with his current team than Lebron is. As it goes, he might even be Lebron’s teammate. The Miami Heat have apparently already expressed interest in him.
In the end, only Lebron knows where he will turn up for the beginning of next season. His decision to opt out was not intended to spurn his fans in South Florida. Who knows, Lebron could very well be heating up the American Airlines Arena when the 2014-15 season tips off come this October.
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