With rumors of LeBron James possibly opting out of his contract and once again testing free agency in 2014 emerging Tuesday and amid speculation over James possibly leaving the Miami Heat, Heat president Pat Riley has weighed in on James' potential free agency and said a discussion between the two sides will eventually happen.
"Our stance is the same we had with [Dwyane] Wade in 2010, that we're just going to play the season and not let that hang over our heads and become a distraction just because the media wants to get an answer on it every day," Riley said per ESPN "I don't know LeBron's stance. He'll probably say one time, 'I'll talk about it next year.' We haven't discussed it yet, but we will. I'll tell him the main thing is to make sure the main thing remains the main thing. And the main thing is to win the championship."
Riley knows a thing or two about landing a big fish as it was his recruiting pitch that led to James signing with the Heat in the first place back in 2010 when he defected from the Cleveland Cavaliers during the infamous airing of "The Decision."
James made waves Tuesday when he said he wasn't sure what the summer of 2014 is going to hold because he hasn't even thought about it.
"I would love to spend the rest of my career in Miami with this great team and great organization as we continue to compete for championships," James told ESPN Tuesday. "That's ideal. But we don't know what may happen from now to the end of the season. That's the nature of the business. It's the nature of not knowing what tomorrow brings."
A video discussion of James' possible 2014 decision can be viewed here.
James, the leagues reigning Most Valuable Player and the MVP of four of the last five seasons, has won two consecutive NBA titles with the Heat and rather than talk about the summer of 2014, James, 28, would rather focus on bringing a third-straight title to South Beach this season and is focused on getting ready for when the Heat's season tips off against the Chicago Bulls at home Oct. 29.
ESPN reported Tuesday that the Akron, Ohio native may go back to his hometown team and play with the Cavaliers once again after this season, but at this point it's all speculation as James hasn't made a decision to opt for free agency yet. If he does make the choice, he'll join a free agency class in 2014 that could potentially include the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony, The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, and James' teammates Chris Bosh and Wade.
James had 2,036 points last season to go along with 5,302 assists and 5,553 rebounds. He averaged 26.8 points-per-game, 7.3 assists-per-game and eight total rebounds-per-game, and would likely have many suitors if he hits the market.
James is a two-time NBA finals MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he helped lead the Heat to a 66-16 record last season and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference on its way to Miami's third title since 2006.
James knows he'll have to make another important decision at the end of the season, but he doesn't want to talk about it until then even though he knows it will be brought up a lot by the media.
"I owe it to myself, I owe it my teammates and I owe it to the Miami Heat to stay focused," James told ESPN Tuesday. "As a leader, I'm not even going to let that side of the business get me unfocused on what I'm trying to do and that's trying to win another championship."
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