The Cavaliers are on the midst of a seven-game losing streak, and Antawn Jamison is frustrated by the team's second-half collapse. The veteran forward told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal he'll wait until after the season to make a decision about leaving or returning to Cleveland, but conceded it would be a surprise if he were a Cavalier next year. While losing more games this season may benefit the team in the long term, the Cavs' future isn't Jamison's primary concern.
"I want to win," Jamison said. "Tomorrow is not promised. I might not be here next year. I can’t worry about what we’re planning for next year. For me and a lot of these other guys, what can we do now? It was tough to know we were so close [to playoff contention] and instead of taking steps forward, we took dramatic steps backward."
Jamison added that he didn't feel great about the Cavs trading Ramon Sessions to Los Angeles, calling the point guard "a big piece of the [Cavs'] puzzle." However, he admitted Sessions may not be missed quite as much if it weren't for injuries to Daniel Gibson and Kyrie Irving.
Although he's shooting a career-worst 40.7% from the floor and has posted his lowest scoring and rebounding rates since 2003/04, Jamison is still contributing 17.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG, and should attract interest on the free agent market this summer. At 35 years old, he may be seeking an opportunity to win a championship rather than continuing to be the veteran presence on a rebuilding Cleveland team.
"I appreciate the things this organization has done for me," Jamison said. "I’ve been through a lot of coaches, by far this has been my favorite coaching staff to play with and to learn things from. But to sit here and say I can see myself coming back or there’s a chance of me coming back right now, that’s one of those decisions you really have to clear your mind, let the batteries get re-juiced. It’s going to be [made] collectively with the family and myself and what I really want to do."