Chris Sheridan, the journalist who broke the news that LeBron James would be returning to Cleveland in 2014 tweeted Wednesday that a source confirmed James would be leaving the Cavaliers again after the 2017-18 season.
“NBA source today: ’This will be LeBron’s final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving,” Sheridan, who has covered the NBA for the AP and ESPN, wrote on Twitter.
According to Sheridan’s source, James no longer has a good relationship with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, describing it as “beyond repair.”
After falling to Golden State in the 2017 NBA Finals, Cleveland has endured a troublesome offseason. The team did not extend the contract of general manager David Griffin, a move that James reportedly disliked, and has missed out on several potential big-name acquisitions such as Jimmy Butler and Paul George.
In addition, point guard Kyrie Irving submitted a trade request last month, allegedly citing a desire to get out of James’s shadow and be the focal point of a team somewhere else.
If James does in fact decide to leave Cleveland after this season, some have speculated he will join one of the two Los Angeles teams, the Lakers or Clippers. James already has a house in L.A., as well as business interests in Southern California.
• Josh Luckenbaugh can be reached at jluckenbaugh@washingtontimes.com.
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