Speculation of LeBron James leaving Cleveland has persisted all summer and it revved up last week after he called Los Angeles “home” in a tweet. Between James’ friendship with Lakers team president Magic Johnson and the turmoil surrounding the Cavaliers’ organization, it’s easy to envision a scenario where LBJ heads west to play for the Lakers next season.
Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link) doesn’t mention Los Angeles, though he hears from a source that James has already made up his mind on his future with the Cavs.
“This will be LeBron’s final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving. Relationship with owners beyond repair,” the source said.
LBJ’s camp has since denied these reports with three sources close to James telling Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (series of tweets) that they are 100% false. The sources told Vardon that James does not view his relationship with ownership as something that is unrepairable.
Chris Broussard of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears that LBJ has not yet made a decision on his future in Cleveland and he won’t make one before the end of next season.
While James’ camp did its best to quickly shoot down the rumors, the fact remains that James has not publicly or privately expressed willingness to commit to the franchise long-term.
If the Cavs knew LBJ was leaving, perhaps the team decides not to trade Kyrie Irving. If they knew James was going to stay, they could confidently acquire a package full of win-now veterans for the point guard. Without a certain future, the organization sits in an awkward position, one that could shape the franchise for years to come.
It’s a tough situation for new GM Koby Altman to be in. The threat of a superstar leaving is the theoretical tax you pay to have him as the face of your franchise. With James likely hitting the free agent market next summer, nearly every team in the league will line up to try to get an opportunity to foot that bill.
Do you think LeBron stays in Cleveland or do you think he leaves his home state for another franchise? If he bolts, where does he go? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
He leaves, but not the lakers he goes to, it’s the rockets! the dream of him playing alongside his banana boat friends along with playing on a contender will be to much for him to say no. Anything is possible in the league we all have seen it before and the four of them with harden and that rocket will crush the warriors!!
that rocket team
LeBron’s as good as gone. He’s the reason the Cavs fired their GM. He’s the reason Butler was told not to seek a trade to Cleveland by “unnamed players on the roster.” He’s the reason Kyrie wants out of Cleveland. Finally, his continued silence on the matter has historically been an indicator that he is in fact leaving. There is no accountability with LeBron; he always does what he wants to do. How people can’t see this mystifies me. How people can turn this around by blaming Kyrie for no longer wanting to play with (for) LeBron is all kinds of hypocritical.
What is this nonsense? LeBron clearly wanted Griffin back but Gilbert didn’t want to pay him, which is something he has a track record of. And what does he have to be accountable for? He hates the owner yet still came back and gave them a chip. Kyrie not wanting to play with LeBron? That’s because the media portrays LeBron as Kyrie’s father figure
Was Griffin underpaid? Of course he was. But that’s not the reason he was fired (makes no sense if you think about it).
Gilbert got rid of the Griffin because he didn’t want him making anymore deals to placate LeBron. As far as Gilbert is concerned, he’s given LeBron more than enough support, and he’s tired of LeBron holding the franchise hostage (hence the lack of accountability). Both he and LeBron are ready to move on without the other.
Not the reason. James’s placations were planned by Gilbert to get him to move back, as was the Love trade. Also, the team was perpetually over the cap so all they could do was re-sign current players. Griffin was not a fan of any of that and is not a James proxy.
@ x%sure
I need to learn the fine art of brevity. You said what I said in one paragraph..haha. I bow to your wizardry.
Preverse credit to chi-guy then, getting me mad!
Untrue. The value of the franchize shall remain as high as it is so long as LBJ is in Cleveland.
Despite the whole “letter” thing, Gilbert has been unfairly chastised. No owner has EVER spent as much money on salary as he has. He was MORE than willing to trade Wiggins to bring in Love. He overpaid on Thompson and Smith to keep them in-fold and placate LBJ.
What really could he have done this off-season?What moves, other than a trade which wouldn’t ADD more salary to the bottom line (because it has to be equal money coming in and going out) were to be done? He brought back Kyle Korver and took the lux tax on his contract.
It’s impossible for the Cavs to sign a top FA this year. They don’t have cap space. They had the exception or minimum they used for Rose. They can only trade or resign their own guys.
As far as trades are concerned, he made it public that he offered Indiana a MUCH better package for George, thought they had a deal, and the Pacer’s GM took OKC’s package. Everyone in the NBA said they took less than what was offered by others. They thought they had a deal with Butler until someone on the Cavs told Butler not to come to Cleveland. My guess is, that was Irving since he’s friends with Butler. I can assume that if given player input as to where he preferred to go (he can’t dictate), the Bulls saw the T-Wolves as a “win-win” for the team and player.
I really doubt the issue bared down to money for Griffin. It was said to be the reason why Billups passed too and both Gilbert and Billups shot that down. Gilbert pointed out that he’s shown no problem with paying above market value and paying more lux tax than any other owner in the history of the NBA. I DO think the salary non-sense was used to camoflauge the Irving/LBJ/Griffin dynamic. I do know that Gilbert wanted Griffin to be more of a franchize watch dog and less of a player friendly GM. He was upset that they were bullied into bidding against themselves for Thomson and Smith, both who are signed to Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports, same agency as LBJ who is best friends with Paul.
When Irving came to them requesting a trade Gilbert wanted Griffin to work it out and try to convince Irving to stay, especially with LBJ’s future beyond 2018 in flux. Instead, he felt Griffin was too eager to try and accommodate Irving. Gilbert reject two offers (can’t remember the team but I think the Knicks and the Suns were one of the two) and Griffin was frustrated and didn’t want to get caught up in a possible fractured locker room in 2017-18 season.
Thank you ChiSox….Someone that actually, finally understands and gets it!! Preach!!
Disclaimer: I’m a fan of the Cavs, have a ton of respect for LBJ and am a fan of Irving.
That being said, the difference is this:
LBJ is honoring contract and he’s always played his ass of while under contract.
Irving is under contract but DOESN’T want to honer his contract, although he still plays his ass off.
Irving should honor his contract and move on if he wishes. While NONE OF US knows what it’s like in that lockerrom the fact that players, coaches and NBA insiders were all caught off guard. I’m willing to say the culture of the team, prior to the offseason, was pretty solid outside of some possible feelings towards how LBJ is given a wide berth and amenities inside the organization, the same given to MJ, Magic, etc.
Think there is no way he stays. I think he will go the Lakers but don’t think that it’s for sure he goes there. He is gone but who knows where he will for sure go
He’s gonna go to the magic, watch
Overrated
He’s gonna go to warriors lol just kidding
He gonna go to the thunder
He could beat warriors
He has Westbrook and George if George stays so ya thunder
Why not Golden State? Make it a one team league
already is, thank kd the coward
What if LeBron goes to play for His Airness? Honestly could happen. Charlotte could open the cap space required by moving Batum(I think Dallas would take him after pursuing him as a FA) and Marvin Williams(definitely could have at least one or two teams who’d want him).
Two reasons why this won’t happen:
1) LeBron has a deep, almost pathological resentment towards MJ.
2) LeBron can’t handle the pressure of playing in MJ’s shadow. MJ’s legacy is LeBron’s Grail, hence the deep resentment.
Your ‘theory’ relies on equating legacies with resentments. I’m sure you have found this to be true in your own life.
LBJ has no resentment at all. He’s publicly said that MJ his favorite player all his life including when he was drafted. He’s also said that to MJ too. I think any anx he has is with the media and public with regards to his place in history.
I think when he made the comment of “chasing ghosts” he meant that he feels that he’s not competing with any other person except himself and LBJ in terms of the GOAT. He feels like he has or should be ahead of everyone else when he retires.
the only thing worse than “the decision” is “indecision” 2018
I don’t feel like LeBron really plans this far in advance.
LeBron plans every move he makes.
I like the thunder idea? Why not go there? Him, Westbrook and George. That would beat the warriors.
Westbrook and LeBron on same team? does the nba play with more than one ball now?
He’s going to retire
KD and him played pickup basketball KD is a free agent after this year. Maybe they are planning something and KD wants his own ring
He’s gonna go to the Dodgers.
He will be past his prime by then. Dodgers should be looking hard at Westbrook instead
He has not decided yet. This is the only thing that can be true. Why? Because not deciding is THE POWER MOVE. Why would Bron make the non-power move? Why decide now?
I can always tell when someone is clueless on the matter by the way they claim to know, and of course they are already on this page.
It will be hard for him to signal the FO about what course to take with Irving, but if he does not request center help, that’s what he will be playing vs. GSW, as before, and he should be rehearsing it before the series starts. Maybe that is preferrable to guarding Durant or irritant Green IDK.
Bron is thinking of the Cleveland path 2018 not some wandering daydream. He already made his young-man move and he is already developing TV shows, at least five. I predict he will stay East and the likliest stops are Cle, NY, Phil, & Miami.
If what you said were true, Butler or George would be on the Cavs right now. Also, Kyrie wouldn’t have asked to be traded.
Connection toButler or George?
LBJ has nothing to do with Butler and George. Owner Gilber was lambasted because he publicly said that he offered Pacers a much better package than what they accepted. It was said that the Pacers’ GM didn’t want to send George in the same division and/or to a city he preferred to be traded to. Bulls are rebuilding and got a better deal from Minnesota. It was also said that Irving was the one that told Butler to try to avoid coming to the Cavs.
As for Irving, it was said that he demanded a traded LITERALLY, a month after they won the championship in 2016.
Agreed. With relations to an LA move, people point to his desire to transition into TV and follow the path of Magic as an entrepreneur.
a) His team, Maverick and others, carry his water in all non-NBA matters.
b) Hellooooo…he’s already DOING all of those entrepreneurial moves already, except for owning a franchise. Like you mentioned, he ALREADY has a very successful TV show on the Starz Network (“Survivor’s Remorse). he had a reality TV show that debuted in 2016, he has a studio deal with Warmer Bros and his Spring Hill Entertainment company (Maverick Carter is his partner). People act as if this is 1892 and people need to be physically located in the city in which they do business. It’s a silly theory being bandied about.
What did crack ever do to you?
LeBron James shocks everyone and stays in the east by signing a new monster contract with the C’s,
The CELTICS that is, forming a new elite monster team, Boston will also extend
Isaah Thomas and has ‘3’ 2018 first round draftpicks, ‘2’ of those picks have a high probability to be between the 1st and 5th pick of the draft, courtesy of the nets and the Lakers, along with another 3 first round picks in 2019. The Boston Celtics are set up to be a powerhouse dynasty for the next decade atleast, and LeBron can smell it, and will want to take his talent to the hostoric Celtics franchise where he can win many more championships before retiring as another BOSTON CELTIC legend!!!
They can’t sign IT & LBJ both, but they can sign one without overwhelming trouble.
But drafting Tatum instead of Fultz suggests they aren’t counting on James and credit to them.
If Thomas gets a max offer elsewhere It will probably be too much trouble to match… Smart is an expiring. And Rozier and Brown and Brk’s #1 and… enough I say!
Well technically they could because there’s no hard salary cap, they would have to get creative and both players pre agree and work there contracts accordingly, then they could make an insane trade for the knicks kristsps as another big man….. maybee in reaching, but we have alot of young talent, like 7 first round picks in the next 2 years, and half will probally be lottery picks with a few of them being high lottery picks, so we definitely have the assets to make any trade, Aswell as sign any players and ainge would make the pay rollwork somehow, and Stevens would make the players work. Were going be really great again, were already really good and last season was supposed to be a rebuiling season.
My point is, with 2 big contracts and all that talent to sign up
… there’s not really a need for a third max and Ainge doesn’t seem to be gearing up for that.
LBJ is quite respectful of Bill Russell. He is also a very, very astute person when it comes to social history and his platform. I have the utmost respect for the Celtics franchise but the relationship between the team and the fans during the 50’s and 60;s wasn’t a good one. I simply don’t see LBJ going to Boston. No way.
I think Lebron stays with CAVs if he can get a couple more pieces. A rim protector like Demarcus Cousin, D. Wade, Paul George, Chris Paul, The only difference between the Warriors and CAVs last season was the bench. They could have won game 3. They blowout the Warriors in game 4. In game 5 they had lead but could not keep it. K. Kover, D. William did not show. CAVs need depth 8-10. Give Lebron some rest! The first 3 rounds in Eastern Conference 12-1, Lebron will sign a couple of 1 year contracts to keep Dan Gibert honest. LA is not ready to take down the Warriors yet, perhaps in 2 or 3 years. But why go to western Conference beating each other up? Why go to the West and get beat up! All the CAVs need is depth! Boston will Challenge the Cav in 3 years! Lebron wants at least 3 more rings! The East offer him the best chance! That’s my take!
LBJ retires…he’s going to be a so-called teacher…teach geography and U.S. History! Shut up and practice free throws!
He stays and so does Kyrie and they young assets
Acquire
When has that ever been LeBron’s M.O.? Additionally, it’s virtually impossible to acquire you talent (rebuild) with multiple star players n the roster. There’s a reason why the NBA is so watered down in terms of talent.