LeBron James Free Agent Updates & Cleveland Cavaliers Team Roster for Season 2016-2017

By Glenn Minnis First Posted: Aug 04, 2016 04:17 PM EDT

LeBron James has every intention of proudly defending what he and his Cleveland Cavaliers earned during the 2015-16 NBA season.

That pretty much makes the superstar free agent's resigning with his boyhood team a foregone conclusion. All that's left is for the four-time league MVP and three time champion to sign his name on the dotted line.

James Looking for Flexibility

Word is between now and then James is hoping to see the Cavaliers do certain things he feels would give the team its best chance at repeating in 2016-17. There is also the matter of what's best for The King, and what sort of deal will allow him the most flexibility in a league that seems to be evolving everyday with an ever exploding salary cap to boot.

With the likes of the rival Golden State Warriors stockpiling their roster to the tune of now boasting a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, James is looking at what tweaks the Cavs may be able to make to keep them competitive.

James is convinced allowing the Cavs more time to see who becomes available and weigh what moves work best before signing his deal, give them the best chance to make certain all that comes to be.

Ray Allen on Cavs' Radar?

One move the Cavs have been rumored to be attempting to pull off is convincing 41-year-old, all-time three-point shooter Ray Allen to come out of semi-retirement and join the champs as floor spacer.

Beyond that, the Cavs figure to return their same starting lineup from last season of James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith, another free agent. The team has also added veterans Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Mike Dunleavy.

As for his own deal, James seems to be deciding between signing a long-term pact or another one-year agreement that would allow him to again become a free agent in 2017, a time when the cap is expected to rise even more.

One thing Cav fans won't have to worry about is the matter of how James plans to stay motivated. He recently told Sports Illustrated his greatest inspiration comes from the drive of chasing Michael Jordan for the mantle of greatest player of all time.

"My motivation is this ghost I'm chasing," he said. "The ghost played in Chicago."

With Jordan already holding six titles against no losses in the Finals and James now just 3-3 in such tilts, the Cavs' star seems to realize the odds might not be on his side.

"My career is totally different than Michael Jordan's," he added. "What I've gone through is totally different than what he went through. What he did was unbelievable, and I watched it unfold. I looked up to him so much. I think it's cool to put myself in position to be one of those great players, but if I can ever put myself in position to be the greatest player, that would be something extraordinary."