LeBron James will sign only a two-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers to maximise his future salary once new television contracts push NBA payroll limits higher, according to a report.
Citing unnamed sources, the US-based sports network ESPN reported that James would sign a two-season deal worth $US42.1 million ($A45 million), allowing him the option of becoming a free agent next year.
On Friday, James announced he would leave the Miami Heat, whom he led to two NBA crowns and four trips to the NBA Finals, and return to Cleveland, the team he spurned four years ago to join Miami in search of a maiden championship.
Having won two crowns and solidified his place as the best player in the NBA, James said in an essay in Sports Illustrated that he wants to come home and accept the challenge of turning his home-region club into a championship squad.
No Cleveland sports team has won a major league crown since the Cleveland Browns captured the National Football League title half a century ago.
Under the plan, James would re-sign with the Cavaliers before the 2016-2017 season, when new TV deals are expected to create a huge leap in the maximum possible contract for a player.
James could avoid locking himself into what in time is expected to be a less valuable deal.
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