LeBron's agent has officially informed the Heat that he's becoming a free agent. From USA Today:
LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, has informed the Miami Heat of his client's decision to exercise the early termination option on his contract and become a free agent on July 1.
Paul confirmed the decision via text message to USA TODAY Sports. While James may ultimately return to Miami on a new deal, the pressure is now squarely on Heat president Pat Riley to win the recruiting war for James' services again like he did in the summer of 2010. James was set to earn $20.5 million next season on the contract that could have gone through 2016 (player option worth $22.1 million).
LeBron's wife foreshadowed this move with a much-discussed Instagram post earlier in the week, referring to Akron as "home sweet home" and mentioning a countdown. Sources close to the couple told ESPN the message simply referred to the couple's summer vacation plans, to which cynical types like me said, "yeah right."
So what say you, Cavs fans? Is the prodigal son coming home, or is this just like the classic Mel Brooks film Spaceballs II? (A search for more money, in other words...)