For the Cleveland Cavaliers to get better, LeBron James must commit to the future

One thing LeBron James has never done in his career is make any commitments about his future.  So why should he start now?

It is understandable why LeBron James keeps his options open. James is the best player in the NBA and does not want to waste any time while pursuing greatness.

In his nearly four years back with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, James has constantly held the front office’s feet to the fire.

James just has a history of being stubborn.

Look back to this time last season. During an interview session, LeBron put the front office on blast saying the team needed another playmaker.

That demand wound up getting the Cavaliers Kyle Korver.

Right now the Cavaliers are a mess, there is no other way to put it. They currently sit at 27-17 (and should have been 26-18 after a 23-point collapse to Orlando ended in a one-point win) and are just one game better than the Miami Heat.

As this Cavaliers team currently stands, they have no chance at winning a championship.  Even winning the East seems like less of a certainty than it did a couple months ago.

A change has to be made.

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Here is the dilemma the Cavaliers find themselves in.

They own a highly coveted asset in the Brooklyn Nets first round pick but do not want to part with it at the moment.

The reason for this is because if LeBron decides to leave at season’s end, Cleveland wants a key asset to help rebuild the team.

But if LeBron’s ultimate goal is to win this season, he will have to do something he has never done in his career. Commit to the future before the season ends.

James needs to go to the front office and let them know he is committed to the team beyond the end of this season. This would allow the Cavaliers to explore trading the Nets pick.

Trading the pick could land the Cavaliers a major star such as DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan or Paul George but a trade of this magnitude can only be made if James gives the front office his word he’s returning.

Let’s state the obvious, people are afraid to criticize James because of his pure star power.

While it is undeniable that LeBron does a lot of good for the Cavaliers, he is not beyond criticism.

LeBron is more to blame than anyone on the Cavaliers at this point.

He likes to yell and scream at his teammates yet no one holds him accountable?

That’s a recipe for disaster if you ask me.

James needs to be held accountable, just like he holds everyone member of the Cavaliers accountable.

Someone in the front office is going to have to stand up to James though if a similar demand is made this season.  They are going to have to let James know that the team can only make a significant move if he is on board.

The Cavaliers front office is smart to not just give the Nets pick away.

It would not make sense to trade away such a big bargaining chip without taking their time and getting max value in return.

Recent comments surfaced about several “unnamed” players saying they do not believe this Cavaliers team has what it takes to win a title. If one of these players happened to be James, he needs to look in the mirror.

Via ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin, “several prominent players” told ESPN, Cleveland.com and The Athletic on the condition of anonymity that patience may not be enough to get the Cavs back to being title contenders.

This franchise starts and ends with him, plain and simple.

If James is voicing his frustration about the state of the team but not doing anything to help, he is to blame.

James is a competitor and maybe deep down he believes any team he’s on can win a championship.

But the Golden State Warriors are better, that is obvious; I believe James knows that.

A commitment from James can be the difference between the Cavaliers acquiring a good player and a great player.

It has been James’ M.O. to take the “wait and see” approach at the end of each season.

Which is smart in the sense that he does not want to cause any distractions for his team.

But in his 15th year, James will have to change his ways of thinking and conducting business if he wants to win this year in Cleveland.

If James does not commit to Cleveland beyond this season and the Cavaliers wind up coming up short in the playoffs yet again, James can blame no one but himself.

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After all, if James wants PG13 of Boogie Cousins on this team, all he has to do is say so.

The front office has the assets to make it happen, they just need a royal commitment from the King.