Revenue stream to hit flood stage?

ByTOM HABERSTROH
July 12, 2014, 10:34 PM

— -- LeBron James means business. The four-time MVP signed a two-year deal worth $42.1 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Under the terms of the contract, James will also have an opt-out after one year to give him flexibility in an uncertain NBA landscape.

Surprised? Don't be. It may seem odd that James, who said in his letter published on SI.com that he wants to retire a Cav, chose to ink a short-term deal with the organization. But the brevity of this deal should be seen as a tactical maneuver to maximize his earning potential, not necessarily an attempt to hold the Cavaliers and its fanbase for ransom.

Times are a-changin' in the NBA. Get ready to hear about the summer of 2016. That's when the two monster deals expire: James', but more importantly, the league's television rights deal.

The TV deal

Teams around the league are preparing for an enormous bump in the salary cap for the 2016-17 season once the league's TV deal expires after the 2015-16 season. Two more seasons of normality and then, boom, open up the floodgates.