Lebron Opts Out/Becomes Free Agent

[AzStevenCal]

Someone posted this on Facebook:

In related news: 95% of Heat fans have also opted for free agency

Awesome.

Love it.

Steve

 

[desertdawg]

Someone posted this on Facebook:



Awesome.

I think 95% of Heat fans are getting those BIC lighters ready. If they got the balls to booo their own squad at home in the Finals, and leave in the third quarter, they will have no problem reenacting the Cleveland style Lebron jersey burning thing, live on ESPN.... I can't wait. Than we can have a Lebronathon on TV, get in all that support, and put him on another team packed with all stars.

 

[KloD]

The rule is that you can't go consecutive future years without a 1st round pick. On draft day this year they could theoretically trade all 3 of this years picks, next years pick and the rights to the Twolves and Lakers pick.

Ah, thanks for clarifying.

 

[bankybruce]

If he goes to the Clippers, the Lakers will officailly be the second team in L.A..

The most intriguing move on the mind of James and his camp, sources told Yahoo Sports, would be a sign-and-trade scenario with the Los Angeles Clippers in which James could play with close friend Chris Paul and under president-coach Doc Rivers. Nevertheless, Miami has remained the primary consideration for James, sources said. He wants to see Riley's plans for improving the roster.

As for sign-and-trade scenarios, in which Riley would have to assist James in getting his maximum financial payout with a new team, the organization has been privately adamant that they'd never do it, league sources said. If James wanted to force his way to the Clippers, he'd have to create the fear within Miami that it could lose him for nothing to a team with the salary cap space to sign him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/source...--chris-bosh-to-discuss-future-161349489.html

 

[devilalum]

Get ready for

The Decision II

 

[CardsFan88]

Obviously Lebron can do whatever he pleases, and could have a different set of parameters leading to a different decisions then last time.

That said, if he can leave his hometown as a Superstar of Superstars to go to Miami, he can 1000x easier move on to somewhere else. His loyalty was never to Miami, as he never had any for Cleveland/Ohio.

While it was a sign-and-trade, between Miami and Cleveland, I bet if Cleveland didn't want to, he would of left anyways. He chose Miami before any discussions about sign-and-trade, therefore I do not think the extra year is as big of a deal as many are thinking.

Besides, he's getting up there in age, a year earlier is another year earlier he can sign ANOTHER max-contract which unlike some other sports cannot be taken away. It might actually be beneficial to sign a 5 year contract, that way some team might sign him again at ~35. People do realize he'll be 30 this year right?

Also what has Riley done as GM for the last 4 years to make the Heat better? It seems every piece of the puzzle Riley added, was actually James. Part of the reason they are in this position is because Riley hasn't added young talent, and the owner got cheap as they were winning.

 

[HooverDam]

if lebron goes to a third nba team to get a ring, that will really stain his legacy as a ring chaser.

Wilt played for the Globetrotters and then the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers. Do we think of Wilt as a "ring chaser"? No, we think of him as one of the greatest players of all time, a statistical freak and perhaps the most athletic big man to ever play.

If LeBron goes to Phoenix, or Houston or Chicago or wherever, there will be a short term backlash. If he wins a few titles wherever he goes, that'll be forgotten long term.

 

[CardsFan88]

As for 'ring chaser', people can discuss that if they wish forever based on what he has already done.

What I disagree with isn't the 'is he or isn't he' if he goes to a 3rd team, I think he already crossed that bridge by going to Miami. Can't put that genie back in the bottle. ESPN are dunderheads if they think it matters NOW.

When people talk about Lebron's career, people will make the point he left the Cavs to chase a ring with Miami. Thus he already is a ring chaser.

So I don't see how leaving for a 3rd team really does anything. He already will have that on his resume, so this shouldn't change that debate, and it shouldn't have any impact on what Lebron is thinking since it didn't impact it much, if any, last time around.

If he took all the heat (no pun intended) for the first switch, and the WAY he did it will always be a sore point, this situation comparatively is nothing.

If anything leaving the Heat might actually dampen it a bit, because the sore point of him leaving for Miami, will be over. Cleveland fans might hate he isn't on their team (if that 3rd team isn't them), but at least they would get the satisfaction of having Miami fans go through the same thing. It would be a closure point for them.

 

[slinslin]

We were not in the playoffs. People will not accuse him of chasing rings, they will be more like "WTF, why is he going to Phoenix" -> until we win 62+ games next season.

 

[KloD]

I don't see Lebron as a ring chaser. I see teams chasing him to have a chance to win a ring. He's got options and he should take full advantage of them. I never looked negative at him leaving Ohio, I looked down at the way he did it. I think that holds true for many. Todays "fans" are different anyway. Many of them are fans of a player and many switch their "favorite" team to who's winning. I'm old school as I picked my teams very young and could never switch my allegiance, but so many do at the drop of a hat.

 

[slinslin]

Thinking if it was Lebron's demand to sign Carmelo as well it would be best if Lebron and Carmelo would take a slight paycut to start at 16M$ per season this would allow the Suns to sign them while keeping Markieff and Len and trade Gerald Green to create that additional caproom.

If they wouldn't take that paycut it would probably be best to drop Marcus Morris and Gerald Green but I doubt you can split the Morris brothers.. so Green and Len.. or maybe Dragic..
Keeping the Morris brothers as backups for Lebron and Carmelo would be huge.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I don't see Lebron as a ring chaser. I see teams chasing him to have a chance to win a ring. He's got options and he should take full advantage of them. I never looked negative at him leaving Ohio, I looked down at the way he did it. I think that holds true for many. Todays "fans" are different anyway. Many of them are fans of a player and many switch their "favorite" team to who's winning. I'm old school as I picked my teams very young and could never switch my allegiance, but so many do at the drop of a hat.

Yes. He had a perfect right to leave Ohio. It was clear that they were not going to be able to get him the help that he needed. That is the problem with being LeBron. He make his team good enought that it is hard to get good talent around him.

The problem with Cleveland is the way that he put it in the face of Cleveland fans with "The Decision" and then the "not one, not two, not three. . ." garbage.

There was a secondary issue, and that was players colluding. It just seemed wrong that team owners and gm's seemed to have no say. Players could just decide who wanted to play together regardless of team management etc.

If LeBron simply makes a good solid free agency choice right now, and does not dictate who his teammates should be specifically, I think he is fine. It is certainly within his right to judge the strength of the roster, but if he demands that he and Melo be signed together (which would be a stupid idea anyway). He will be fine.

 

[splitsecond]

he isn't leaving the East. why run the playoff gauntlet that exists in the West if you don't have to?

Lebron does NOT want to play with Melo. That's all media fiction.

Also, keep dreaming Atlanta!

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yes. He had a perfect right to leave Ohio. It was clear that they were not going to be able to get him the help that he needed. That is the problem with being LeBron. He make his team good enought that it is hard to get good talent around him.

The problem with Cleveland is the way that he put it in the face of Cleveland fans with "The Decision" and then the "not one, not two, not three. . ." garbage.

There was a secondary issue, and that was players colluding. It just seemed wrong that team owners and gm's seemed to have no say. Players could just decide who wanted to play together regardless of team management etc.

If LeBron simply makes a good solid free agency choice right now, and does not dictate who his teammates should be specifically, I think he is fine. It is certainly within his right to judge the strength of the roster, but if he demands that he and Melo be signed together (which would be a stupid idea anyway). He will be fine.

I think this has been happening for a long time, it was just never so in our face. I think, in all sports, certain stars have recruited teammates to join them. I've never seen it where it involved two of the best players in the game and three of the top 15 but I believe it's happened many times. And when the recruited player was a star, it was usually in the twilight of his career.

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

he isn't leaving the East. why run the playoff gauntlet that exists in the West if you don't have to?

Lebron does NOT want to play with Melo. That's all media fiction.

Also, keep dreaming Atlanta!

Because playing in the West better prepares you for the playoffs? If you take Lebron's team out of the mix, the East has only won 3 championships in the last 15 years. I haven't figured out the logic for subtracting Lebron's team but it makes my point look better.

I agree the Lebron/Melo matchup is probably media fantasy.

Steve

 

[slinslin]

Signing Lebron solo and spending 10M$ on role players would probably be better for us than clearing Morris twins and Green or Dragic to sign Carmelo on top of it..

 

[slinslin]

Would Philly trade #10 for Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris and Gerald Green? It would create capspace for us while netting maybe close to equal value in return instead of just giving them away in a sign and trade with New York for no reason.

We could then sign Carmelo and Lebron and manuever with #10, #14, #18 and #27 to get a pick in the top 8 for Smart, Gordon or Vonleh. Maybe #10 and #27 could get #8 and #14, #18 could get #7.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Signing Lebron solo and spending 10M$ on role players would probably be better for us than clearing Morris twins and Green or Dragic to sign Carmelo on top of it..

I agree with this. I don't think LeBron would be helping himself by signing with us and wanting us to get Carmelo too. LeBron, Goran, Bled (plus all the flexibility to add other talent) is better than LeBron, Bled, Melo with no flexibility.

Wow. There are alot of possibilities for putting together a VERY good team.

 

[unseenaz]

Just to play the devils advocate for a moment;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2014/06/24/only-five-teams-can-afford-lebron-james-right-now/

 

[slinslin]

I agree with this. I don't think LeBron would be helping himself by signing with us and wanting us to get Carmelo too. LeBron, Goran, Bled (plus all the flexibility to add other talent) is better than LeBron, Bled, Melo with no flexibility.

Wow. There are alot of possibilities for putting together a VERY good team.

We would have Dragic, Bledsoe, Melo and Lebron not just Bled, Melo and Lebron.

Our bench would be thin though.

But if we could use the Morris twins, Green and our 3 picks to trade up to get Vonleh or Gordon and a PG later we could maybe end up with

Len/Plumlee
Carmelo/Vonleh or Gordon?
Lebron/Tucker
Dragic/Goodwin
Bledsoe/ Smart? Ennis? Payton? Stauskas?

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

What options does Miami have to improve their roster? Does Lebron opting out still create a cap hold for them? I don't really care to look at their cap situation and figure it out. Anyone know how they would have to work things with players opting in/out to add help that placates Lebron?

Yes, it does help the team to opt out...in a positive scenario. If LBJ, DW, and CB opt in, then their salaries alone eat up 63 million of the cap, which is effectively all of it. If one of them opts in it will be a sure sign the band will not be getting back together.

 

[slinslin]

I think it only helps Miami if all 3 take a paycut, seems unlikely to me.

Rumor is out that Ray Allen won't retire and will follow Lebron.

Would be amazing, especially if Lebron does not care about Melo. Trading for Love would be the icing on the cake even if it took Dragic and picks or twins.

 

[Covert Rain]

No chance we get LJ but they have to put their best foot forward. They have to lay it all on the table to get him. I hope the Suns don't touch Melo. Please no.

 

[SirStefan32]

I think you guys are dreaming. Melo and Lebron, Lebron and Love. Geez, let's bring Durant in while we are at it.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think you guys are dreaming. Melo and Lebron, Lebron and Love. Geez, let's bring Durant in while we are at it.

I don't think you bothered to read many posts but many of us said just that. Having said that....are we not supposed to discuss what if scenarios?!?!