CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This time, free agency for LeBron James could be a drawn-out process or a fairly quick transaction. It all depends on how things shake out come July 1.

The contract situations of Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and to a certain degree Brendan Haywood are expected to be resolved before the Cleveland Cavaliers re-sign the world's most dominant player.

James will take a wait-and-see approach while the Cavaliers tend to their housekeeping matters, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

The four-time MVP has a player option deadline of Monday, and he will decline to pick up that deal for next season.

The belief is James wants to observe how management goes about retaining and accumulating assets keep the organization in win-now mode and improve the roster.

The chance of James bolting the city of Cleveland for a second time is slim, but his approach will allow him to assess the Cavaliers' moves before re-signing. It also applies pressure on the organization to do whatever is necessary to strengthen the team.

For James and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, it's a forward-thinking business tactic. There's no telling how many prime years James has left, and the impression is that he wants to ensure he's surrounded by a championship-caliber cast.

He'll be the last domino to fall, if all goes as planned, league sources with knowledge of the situation presume.

Cavs general manager David Griffin says James has been "very engaged" in terms of the team's roster composition and intentions.

The Haywood deal will be telling. His contract is worth $10.5 million for next season, but it's not guaranteed. He can be swapped out for a player making up to about $14 million, and then the team acquiring the big man can waive him without owing a penny to clear cap space.

The Cavaliers' desire is to use that valuable chip to obtain another impact player who can help shoulder the playmaking responsibilities.

They can also go the route of securing a couple of future first-round picks for the Haywood contract. That would indicate a shift from the present course, because it won't help James in his quest to win a title for Cleveland right away.

James' strategy is to remain a watcher when it comes to personnel affairs and recruitment. It is widely known that he will not meddle in management proceedings or give input as it pertains to head coach David Blatt and the coaching staff. He wants management to do what it feels is best for the team, and he'll show up to work for whoever is at the helm.

Although James wants Love, Thompson, Shumpert and Smith to return, he will not put on a full-court recruiting press. He prefers to give them space to make a decision, trusting they understand what the Cavaliers are capable of accomplishing if they all re-sign.

And in regards to a possible Smith return, Griffin said there's interest in bringing him back, but only "if it's the right situation for us." The 3-point specialist doesn't exactly sound like a high priority for the team. On Thursday, Smith declined his player option for next season.

James' off-season approach may come off as passive-aggressive, but his motives are crystal clear: Standing pat might not be enough. He wants improvement across the board and until that occurs, he'll sit back and take notice before signing on the dotted line.