LeBron James Free Agency: 5 possible destinations for LeBron James this summer, and beyond

#3 Cleveland Cavaliers

James in the iconic number 23 at Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers blew up their roster midway through the season, having replaced some of their older members with fresh, young talent in the form of Clarkson, Nance Jr and Rodney Hood. With this move, the Cavaliers did get better, but simply not good enough.

LeBron has been able to somehow lead this depleted roster into the NBA Finals this postseason, against all odds. His ability to make everyone better around him cannot be understated, but that still might not be enough to overcome a stacked and star-studded Warriors roster this term.

This postseason proved that the teams in the East are going to improve on a yearly basis and the Cavaliers themselves will have to significantly develop their roster to have any chance of beating young, motivated sides within - let alone facing the Western Conference juggernauts.

James can opt out of his final contract at the end of this season, putting more pressure on Dan Gilbert and the front office to make significant improvements in their roster to stay more competitive. He could also sign a five-year max deal, worth over $205m - a difference of $50m in comparison to what he could get elsewhere.

So with that in mind, staying in Cleveland may be the best option for LeBron if he wants to keep making Finals appearances and try his luck in winning one or two of them while still being his team's driving force. Also, remaining in Cleveland also means he would stay close to his friends and family, which is an important but understated factor in decision-making.