FEBRUARY 7, 7:31am: Following a Tuesday loss to Orlando that one Cavs player referred to as “a new low,” James publicly discussed his no-trade clause, confirming that he has no plans to waive it, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
“I’m here for the long haul,” James said. “I’m here for this season right now, [to] try to figure out ways we can still compete. I couldn’t give up on my teammates like that. I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t do it. We put too much into the game every single day. We go out and prepare. Win, lose or draw, at the end of the day, we’re all brothers, and we understand that. I owe it to my teammates to finish this season out no matter how it ends up. I would never waive my no-trade clause.”
FEBRUARY 6, 11:37am: As disastrous as the situation in Cleveland has been lately, the Cavaliers remain the third-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, making it extremely unlikely that the front office would consider the idea of trading LeBron James before this week’s deadline. But even if the Cavs did entertain the thought, a deal wouldn’t be possible, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Sources tell Charania that teams around the NBA are doing their due diligence on James’ situation and his no-trade clause in an attempt to determine if a trade would be remotely plausible. However, LeBron is “determined” to see the season through in Cleveland, and won’t waive that no-trade clause, Charania reports.
While there are several NBA players who have the ability to block trades this season, only three – James, Dirk Nowitzki, and Carmelo Anthony – have explicit no-trade clauses included in their respective contracts. Anthony waived his no-trade clause back in the fall when the Knicks worked out a deal to send him to the Thunder, but James has no plans to follow suit.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement allows a team to include a no-trade clause in a player’s contract if that player has spent at least eight years in the NBA and four with his current team. Those four years don’t have to be consecutive, which is why James was eligible for a no-trade clause in his most recent deal, despite having only been back in Cleveland for two years at that point.
The subject of James’ no-trade clause also came up back in July after Kyrie Irving‘s trade request surfaced and there was some speculation that the Cavs might want to launch into full-fledged rebuilding mode. As is the case now, LeBron was said at the time to be unwilling to waive his no-trade clause.
He’s literally screwing Cleveland.
Lebron: “waives no trade clause”
Everyone else : he’s such a b**** bailing out in his team
Lol this couldn’t be more true. No matter what he does he gets screwed over
You mean criticized? “Screwed over” is not what that is.
Okay… his “brand” is screwed over? Although he might be too old to use that terminology. The kids like it though.
You mean Cleveland is screwing themselves?
Someone in the Cavs staff offered LeBron a no trade clause… he didn’t just find it on the floor somewhere. If you don’t like the contract a player has, don’t blame the player.
They probably didn’t. His agent probably insisted on it. And they caved to him.
I’m really sick of reading this anti-LeBron nonsense in these comments. He won them a ring two years ago… Any team he’s on is a legitimate championship contender, and if the Cavaliers weren’t so historically bad, as in one of the worst franchises to ever exist, at managing and attracting assets. He’d have won them 4 or 5.
How can anyone seriously blame LeBron for the Cavs problems… It’s truly beyond my comprehension. So yeah, trade the pick. Because this team won’t win a championship in the next 25 years without LeBron. So the pick has 0 worth to Cleveland if LeBron leaves.
Preach!
Cavs aren’t a championship contender
You do realize the Warriors are still a thing right? Even if they do manage it it’s still unlikely he wins more than one. Not attracting players and being pushed into the Smith and Thompson deals. The Shumpert contracts is partially James’ fault. If they take market value then the cap isn’t a problem. If James commits they probably get George. It’s on both the organization and James. It’s not one or the others fault.
As a Cavs fan, I agree with this. LeBron almost single handedly deserves credit for bringing Cleveland a title, but his inability to commit and apparent interest in playing mind games isn’t helping the Cavs make moves right now since the path they take is dependent on if he stays or goes. Dan Gilbert, meanwhile, is terrible, but it’s hard to blame all of this on him too. They both deserve blame.
Yes. Well said. They’re both at fault. Something “fans” of both perspective don’t like to admit. They are both playing to “win” and both are ending up hurting everyone involved, including themselves.
Michael I have to disagree. LeBron cannot reasonably be blamed for not committing to a dysfunctional ownership and management structure. He has over 10 years experience with possibly the most poorly managed sports franchise in all of American sports history. They have been that bad in the 15 years since LeBron was drafted as an organization.
If LeBron wasn’t from Akron, he would have never come back. Who here would really want to play for Dan Gilbert? How can anyone blame LeBron for not having any faith in them? If they showed even average competency as an organization, LeBron may have never left. Now they are just reaping what they sow. I mean Dan Gilbert wasn’t even willing to spend money until LeBron came back. Although that’s not a shocker. The day after he signed to return the Cavaliers probably gained a full billion dollars of worth.
Indiana GM Pritchard did want a trade that helped the Cavs. James not committing had nothing to do with it. That trade was doomed anyway on the basis of size.
If LBJ plans to stay, he owes it to Cavs to let em know now, and get a deal done so they at least plan for the near future.
He doesn’t owe the cavs anything at all.
And Dan Gilbert doesn’t owe LeBron anything this summer. Gilbert wins. LBJ pack your bags!
If you mean going from champions contender to bottom feeder in the east then yea I guess Gilbert wins lol.
The only thing Gilbert has been able to do without LeBron is lose an impressive amount of games. Not sure why people side with a billionaire owner over the only reason this team has been relevant in decades
Gilbert lost $18 million last year. He paid $54 million in tax 2 years ago and $45 million more last year. It’ll be worse this year. Gilbert has paid out more in taxes than any one in the NBA since LeBron came back. He agreed to spend money to get a championship to bring LeBron back. He did that. no the championships are gone, along with making money. like Joe Vardon said, LeBron doesn’t care about Gilbert’s, Gilbert does. Gilbert lost $18 million last year, he’ll lose more this year. Later LeBron.
Make that LeBron doesn’t care about Gilbert’s money. Gilbert does. The bank account is in Gilbert’s name, that’s all that matters. Gilbert wants to make money.
Everybody wants to make money. What’s your point? If you think Gilbert hasn’t made money from LJ, well, you are you. Gilbert continues to make money after crowds leave the Q, since he has invested in the downtown. You have repeated this “information” multiple times, but it is a half-truth.
Gilbert might be owning a tanker pretty soon the way he’s going.
He owes them nothing. But he’d be smart to waive his ntc. It would cost him money in the short term, but it would help his image long term. Leaving Cleveland via free agency again would just reopen old wounds -wounds that still hurt his legacy in the eyes of many fans.
Those wounds are fueling the fued that’s going on right now!
If I’m Cleveland, I give LeBron an ultimatum:
Commit to another season or we are blowing up the team. We can’t afford to invest our last assets in this team when LeBron already has his bags packed.
Start the rebuild now and give ourselves an head start on our inevitable rebuild once LeBron leaves. It’s not like we are beating GS this year anyway.
How do you blow the team up? Love is hurt so no one is going to trade for him now, They aren’t going to get rid of IT unless it’s at a serious discount. Lebron has a no trade clause. Those are the only peace’s with value Cleveland has.
Clearing cap room by trading Lebron’s homies that he insisted on the Cavs bringing back
Trading to who? That is not an option if nobody wants them. If the Cavs can trade them for George Hill, who is overpaid by someone else, then a switch can be made. There are overpaid players all over the league.
People would definitely trade for an injured love. He’s only out another 6 weeks
I’d be quite happy if my beloved Lakers were to trade for Love right now!
Would happily send Ingram and Lopez over
I’ve been saying LeBron has a home in L.A., Love lives there. Love’s girlfriend is a Playboy playmate. Would you rather be on the Pacific Ocean beach or staring at Lake Erie. Like the Pacers say, we want players who want to be here. I think Klay Thompson can get more money from the Lakers after next season, and he’d be happy with Love.
Lol you’ve been saying Lebron has a home and Love wants to play in LA. The entire sports media has been saying for years that Lebron has a house in LA and love wants to play in his hometown.
LeBron has a home in L.A., but lives in Ohio. The Lakers said today they are forgetting about this year, slashing more money, and concentrating on 2019 (Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, etc.) LeBron is off the table. He won’t play with a team with no vets with over 3 years experience, Lopez and Caldwell-Pope would be gone.)
Harpy’s got the downlow
If it didn’t come directly from LeBron’s lips, you cannot take it seriously.
If Gilbert doesn’t make any trades, you can take him seriously!
If you don’t sign a contract, you can take Gilbert seriously. It’s his team.
I let him rot the rest of the season. He seemed really, really happy at the start of the season saying we had a better team.
Lebron didn’t win Cleveland a title … it was Kyrie! And proof is in the pudding that Kyrie was a main cog in that offense as he is still a #1 team in the east and the Cavs are falling faster than a rock off a building
LeBron should only do what makes him happy. Be savvy bro.
“I’m here for the long haul”. Offseason and free agency arrives: *quickly hisses and slithers away*