CHICAGO - A clue, as defined by Dictionary.com, is "anything that serves to guide or direct in the solution of a problem, mystery, etc."
As we wonder where LeBron James is taking his talents to next season, the NBA's biggest free agent in this blockbuster summer has left us with a few clues, tiny morsels to chew on and speculate.
He wants to stay in "championship mode" which means a return to Cleveland looks dim given how the Cavaliers rotted away in the playoffs before eventually decomposing in a sweeping 2018 Finals loss to the Warriors.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has given the Cavs a 30-1 odds to win the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2019. I'm not sure the King yearns to return to a crumbling kingdom.
"My family is what's most important to me, more than anything," James hinted.
This could bode well for Cleveland considering LeBron and his wife Savannah's roots are in Akron, Ohio where their children also grew up and have developed friendships there.
With ownership of his "Bird Rights," the Cavaliers can offer James a five-year max deal worth $207.4 million. Other teams can only dangle him four years and $152.3 million, said The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
However, the extra $55.1 million matters little to James, who has a reported shoe deal with Nike estimated by ESPN to be worth $1 billion. In his 15 years in the NBA, LeBron has raked in so much he ran out of deposit slips.
Los Angeles is another rumored destination, what with the lure of the Lakers, the sun and the scenery, not to mention entertainment business interests, and the fact that LeBron owns two homes in filthy-rich Brentwood, including a sprawling $21 million mansion.
Adding to the L.A. intrigue is ESPN stalwart Stephen A. Smith's recent report that James texted Kevin Durant inquiring about a possible riding in tandem with the Lakers.
The Spurs have been mentioned in the rumor mill as well but San Antonio has little cap space and a large problem with Kawhi Leonard's unhappiness.
Houston is a very unlikely landing spot.
The Rockets have their own free agents to lose sleep over - Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and the beastly Clint Capela. And it's hard to imagine LeBron, the ultimate team player, wanting to hoop with James Harden, the ultimate me-first scorer.
The Sixers have the means and the money to reel in LeBron, who averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 81 games last season, but with Ben Simmons there the fit isn't so snug. Besides, adding LeBron means deducting valuable pieces from the Philly line-up that played so well together last season.
At age 33, LeBron is on the clock and with the championship window closing he'd rather be in a super team that has a chance to unseat Golden State.
Which brings us back to the Lakers, who are moving heaven and earth to acquire Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who just declined his $20.7 million option to stay in Oklahoma and suffer in a Russell Westbrook-dominated offense.
The timing was also perfect as LeBron arrived in Los Angeles as the countdown to free agency ticked down to its last few hours.
So, there you are. A lot of clues that give us nothing.
In the end, really, only the King knows.
A VILLA IN ANGUILLA. While the NBA world awaits his decision, LeBron is vacationing with family and friends at a beachfront villa in Anguilla, an island in the eastern Caribbean located ten miles north of St. Martin and 200 miles east of Puerto Rico.
The property has eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a movie theater, a full gym, an infinity pool and a staff that includes a butler not named Jimmy. According to The Daily Mail the rent for this breathtaking wedge of paradise is a cool $75,000 a week.
Sitting on the edge of Meads Bay, the villa in Anguilla is a nest fit for a King.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph