Lebron Goes To...

[elindholm]

Houston is my pick

They'd have to find a taker for Ryan Anderson (owed $41.7M over the next two years), abandon Capela, and convince Paul to take a pay cut. Tall order.

 

[GatorAZ]

Houston is my pick

How? Playing for the minimum?

 

[JCSunsfan]

PHX doesn't work. Lebron rightfully said yesterday "mental" (bb iq) matters.
now, if we added Trae Young along with Ayton we'd be more desirable
(if experience didn't matter. and if defense didn't matter)

The Cavs had 29 different starting lineups this year. The #1 most used line up started 21 games and went 14-7. And still, he took that team to the finals. Look at the finals starting line up alongside Lebon.

Smith<Booker by a lot.
Hill<JJackson by a little.
Love>Bender by a lot.
Thompson <Ayton by a lot (Assumption, of course).

Add a decent pg and we could put a better starting line up alongside LeBron than the one he took to the finals. I am not saying we can sign LeBron. I am just marveling at how much he did with so little.

 

[Folster]

LeBron is 33 and doesn't fit the timeline (tongue in cheek). Barkley was 29 when he came to Phoenix as a comparison.

 

[Folster]

I'll play along for fun and pretend that Rich Paul is not LeBron's agent and we were somehow able to clear enough space to sign him. The only way LeBron would seriously consider us is if we swung a draft day deal for a point guard like Kemba Walker.

That would give us:

Kemba
Booker
Jackson
LeBron
Ayton

Key reserves would be Knight and whoever between Chriss and Bender isn't traded.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I'll play along for fun and pretend that Rich Paul is not LeBron's agent and we were somehow able to clear enough space to sign him. The only way LeBron would seriously consider us is if we swung a draft day deal for a point guard like Kemba Walker.

That would give us:

Kemba
Booker
Jackson
LeBron
Ayton

Key reserves would be Knight and whoever between Chriss and Bender isn't traded.

I don't necessarily think so. LeBron initiated the offense and ran the break in Cleveland. We could just add another shooter. A 3 and D pg who doesn't have to be a great passer would even be OK. Bradley would be fine. Just theoretical, of course.

You could even run Book and JJ at the guards, with TJ and LeBron at the forwards and Ayton at the center. LeBron becomes the virtual pg for that team.

 

[TJ]

Even if we were a serious contender, we’re too young and green everywhere, including at head coach.

 

[SirStefan32]

This talk about LeBron to Phoenix is silly. Even if it were to happen, the Suns wouldn't be able to get through the Warriors. LeBron is getting older, and him being on the team would stop Booker's (and everyone else's) development. Please no LeBron in Phoenix.

 

[AzStevenCal]

LeBron is 33 and doesn't fit the timeline (tongue in cheek). Barkley was 29 when he came to Phoenix as a comparison.

True but Phoenix had veterans that were ready to win, not a bunch of kids 21 and under.

 

[Carolinacacti]

I think he stays in Cleveland or retires to go play hockey

 

[AzStevenCal]

This talk about LeBron to Phoenix is silly. Even if it were to happen, the Suns wouldn't be able to get through the Warriors. LeBron is getting older, and him being on the team would stop Booker's (and everyone else's) development. Please no LeBron in Phoenix.

I hate "chatter" about Lebron coming to Phoenix more than I hate the idea of it. And I hate the idea of it. But I really detest how fanboi-ish we seem when we start chasing James on this board.

We're the equivalent of the socially challenged nerd lusting over the prettiest girl in school. Nothing wrong with that but that's the kind of fantasy we should keep to ourselves.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This talk about LeBron to Phoenix is silly. Even if it were to happen, the Suns wouldn't be able to get through the Warriors. LeBron is getting older, and him being on the team would stop Booker's (and everyone else's) development. Please no LeBron in Phoenix.

Of course it's silly. We all know it is. We are just having fun with it.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I hate "chatter" about Lebron coming to Phoenix more than I hate the idea of it. And I hate the idea of it. But I really detest how fanboi-ish we seem when we start chasing James on this board.

We're the equivalent of the socially challenged nerd lusting over the prettiest girl in school. Nothing wrong with that but that's the kind of fantasy we should keep to ourselves.

Well. When you put it in that light. Yikes.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Well. When you put it in that light. Yikes.

Yeah but the other side of the coin is who really cares if we give the sports world another reason to laugh at us. It will all be forgotten when Booker and Ayton lead us to our 9th straight championship.

 

[Hoop Head]

It's fine to have some fun and guess what would happen if Lebron did come to Phoenix but the conversation turns from fun "what if" scenarios to challenging others pretty quick. That has already started to happen to a degree here. People get too caught up in the "what if" and start rationalizing it and then some people see it happening and get burnt when it's nothing but a dream scenario that never had a basis in reality.

 

[Folster]

Most of the teams being mentioned would have to do major salary dumping in order to get James. If we assume that that's in play, why isn't anyone considering Milwaukee? He'd stay in the Midwest and pair with Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe.

The Bucks have a lot of undesirable contracts, but a team like the Suns could be a trading partner if sufficiently enticed. For example, Brogdon could be the prize that gets the Suns to agree to take on Henson as well.

Unless James goes to Philadelphia (or Phoenix) -- well, or stays in Cleveland -- there are going to be some fire sales to make room for him. The Suns are in a really good position to take advantage of that dynamic.

I just looked at Milwaukee's salary situation on Shamsports Capulator and even if they renounce everything possible, they are still 6 mil over the cap.

I suppose if he wanted he could go play for the MLE almost anywhere. He makes plenty of money, but I imagine the player's union would not be happy about him taking so little.

 

[Hoop Head]

I just looked at Milwaukee's salary situation on Shamsports Capulator and even if they renounce everything possible, they are still 6 mil over the cap.

I suppose if he wanted he could go play for the MLE almost anywhere. He makes plenty of money, but I imagine the player's union would not be happy about him taking so little.

He has said he'll only play for the max. Trying to find a link for that but it has something to do with his spot in the players union. He's not signing anywhere for less. Only way he doesn't sign a max deal is if he plans on opting in and forcing the Cavs to trade him on his existing deal, where his bird rights would travel with him and he could sign an extension or a new deal next summer.

 

[Hoop Head]

Here is one link with some quotes from him about signing a huge contract.

• LeBron James wants to "break the mold" on his next contract when he becomes a free agent this offseason.
• James, at 33, said he wants to prove that older players can still sign huge contracts.

More details in the article. He's not signing anywhere for less. The Cavs have the ability to offer him the richest contract in NBA history, 5 years and 205 million, which edges him past Curry by 4 million over the length of the deal. I'm sure he'd like to take that from Curry since Curry blocks him from titles, he'll block Curry from the record books.

http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-next-contract-free-agency-hint-2017-12

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Here is one link with some quotes from him about signing a huge contract.

• LeBron James wants to "break the mold" on his next contract when he becomes a free agent this offseason.
• James, at 33, said he wants to prove that older players can still sign huge contracts.

More details in the article. He's not signing anywhere for less. The Cavs have the ability to offer him the richest contract in NBA history, 5 years and 205 million, which edges him past Curry by 4 million over the length of the deal. I'm sure he'd like to take that from Curry since Curry blocks him from titles, he'll block Curry from the record books.

http://www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-next-contract-free-agency-hint-2017-12

Someone is going to pay Lebron $40+M when he’s 38. Wow.

 

[Hoop Head]

Here's an article that breaks down how James could sign with a lot of different teams. I'm sticking with my original choices for Lebron to end up with, Philly, Houston, and San Antonio. This talks about how each move would be possible and more.



https://hoopshype.com/2018/06/08/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-free-agency/

 

[Hoop Head]

Someone is going to pay Lebron $40+M when he’s 38. Wow.

If anyone is worth it, it's Lebron. Not saying I'd be happy with that on the Suns books but at the same time you need to figure you're paying him for the titles he brought in during the first 2-3 years of that deal. So while it seems crazy, it's not that crazy. I'd rather pay Lebron 40 million at 38 than John Wall 30 million at 30 years old. So it's all relative.

 

[Folster]

I just looked at Milwaukee's salary situation on Shamsports Capulator and even if they renounce everything possible, they are still 6 mil over the cap.

He has said he'll only play for the max. Trying to find a link for that but it has something to do with his spot in the players union. He's not signing anywhere for less. Only way he doesn't sign a max deal is if he plans on opting in and forcing the Cavs to trade him on his existing deal, where his bird rights would travel with him and he could sign an extension or a new deal next summer.

I didn't consider him opting in and forcing a trade, but that would rule out teams that don't have expiring contracts and assets like Houston. There is no way Houston has the assets to pull off an actual trade for LeBron. They couldn't even pull off a trade for Melo.

 

[Folster]

Someone is going to pay Lebron $40+M when he’s 38. Wow.

If that's the case, I hope he goes to the Lakers and signs a fat long term deal like Kobe did at the end of his career.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Dark Horse choice:

Spoiler

Retire

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

If Lebron joins the Warriors it'll be awfully hard to watch the NBA next year. The only reason I wouldn't quit entirely is because the Suns won the lottery. I think I can safely say I wouldn't watch any games the Suns aren't part of though. Signing with the Warriors should end the Lebron vs MJ debate right then and there also. No way can anyone make the case he's had inferior teammates, harder opponents, etc at that point. I know he'd be joining them at 33 years old but that says a lot about how he views competing in the NBA.

I'd say the chances of that happening is zero.