The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James have agreed to a two-year contract worth $46.9 million, including a player option for the second year. So essentially, it’s a one-year deal worth $23 million that will keep James with the Cavaliers for the 2015-16 season. Looking back, this is yet another example of how brilliantly James has used free agency throughout his career.

After James’ deal expired following the 2009-10 NBA season, everyone expected him to stay with his hometown team and re-sign with the Cavaliers. However, James saw the writing on the wall that the Cavaliers weren’t going to win a title in the near future. James shocked the world and chose to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat, creating the next “Big Three” that would make the NBA Finals in all four seasons James was in South Beach, winning back-to-back championships in 2011-12 and 2012-13. In this case, James sacrificed money in free agency in order to win his first NBA title.

When James decided to leave the Heat after the 2013-14 season, again he surprised everyone in the NBA, when he decided to return home to Cleveland. Although he said he was committed to bringing the city a championship, and said he was coming home for good, James only signed a two-year deal worth $42.2 million, including a player option for the second year. The option allowed James to evaluate the team after his first season back with the Cavaliers, and it also allowed him to opt out and take advantage of the NBA’s new TV deal.

James used that opt out on June 28, and officially became a free agent once again, even though there was zero concern that he would leave the Cavaliers after a season when the team went to the NBA Finals despite losing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the playoffs (and many people believe the Cavaliers would have beaten the Golden State Warriors if the team had been 100 percent healthy). Although James wasn’t going to use the opt out to explore free agency, he was able to use it to force Cavaliers general manager David Griffin to improve the roster, and get every player under contract before signing his deal. Griffin had to do whatever he could to appease James, who could have changed his mind and explored other options.

Although he will forever be scarred by “The Decision,” James has manipulated every one of his free agent years in order to benefit him to the fullest. Whether it be joining the Heat to win an NBA title, signing short contracts to keep his options open, or forcing a general manager to build a roster of which he approves, James should be a role model for any NBA superstar who enters free agency in the future. The proper term is leverage. If you want something from a company or team, the only way to get it is to create leverage, and with James being the best player on the planet, he possesses as much leverage as anyone in the world.

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.