3 Cavs transactions that might be waiting on LeBron James

When LeBron James was in Cleveland a few years back, taking the Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals and one championship, it was not uncommon to hear that he was the team’s “true GM”. It was actually fairly true to say that moves would be “waiting’ on LeBron as the front office sought his opinion; he was involved, publicly and privately, in the franchise’s transactions.

Yet that was four years ago, and LeBron James has since won a title playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Why the headline, then? LeBron isn’t even on the Cavs; how could he be holding up transactions for the team?

The greatest player in Cavs history may be a free agent next summer. Why LeBron James may be holding up multiple Cavs transactions

The answer lies next summer, when LeBron James will be a free agent and the Cavs are currently in line for maximum cap space. Could The King be contemplating a return (again)? It’s a very real possibility, one that grows more real with each tremor of dysfunction rocking its way through the Lakers’ organization.

The Cavs aren’t going to sit on their hands and wait to see if he wants to come back, but they are certainly watching closely to see what James does. The key date is August 4th; that’s when LeBron becomes eligible for a contract extension. If he signs it, then the Cavs can move forward with other priorities. If he doesn’t, suddenly the speculation will spike.

Let’s look at three transactions that the Cavs have on their radar that could be held up because the team is waiting on LeBron James.