Cleveland Cavaliers trade rumors 2016: LeBron James remains silent over new contract

Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors in Cleveland January 19, 2010. | REUTERS/AARON JOSEFCZYK

Despite recently leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in history, LeBron James does not seem to be in a hurry to re-sign with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.

James had given the Cavaliers a promise that he would be bringing a title to the city and has made good on it so far. However, he is in no hurry to sign a new deal with the Cavaliers that would keep him in the team for the long term.

In the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, James certainly cashed in on his superstar status as he bagged around $22.9 million for the season; and that is strictly only for his contract as his deals with sponsorships are not included.

However, the choice of James to wait until signing a new contract with the Cavaliers lies solely on leveraging the most money he can.

At 31 years old, James is now past his physical peak and will certainly look to get paid.

In his career, he has only hit the $20 million mark twice (2014-15 and 2015-16) and will certainly command more money now that the ceiling of the contracts this year has increased.

Furthermore, James is now in a point in his career where he has built his legacy as one of the best players to ever step foot in the NBA and is certainly a crowd favourite.

He averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists last year which shows that he can still compete with the very best; and James expects to be paid for what he brings to the table.

Real GM reported that James has yet to sign with the Cavaliers, but there is still little to no reason for the Cavaliers to wonder if they cannot secure James as the star certainly just wants to ensure that he will get the most out of his new contract.