Cleveland Sports Forum

LeBron has officially opted out of his 35.6 million player option.

I think this means one of two things. He is going to re-sign with Cavs for super max and stay.

Or he knows the Cavs would be willing to do a sign and trade.

Maybe I'm looking at that wrong though ...


Dave McMenamin Verified account @mcten
3 minutes ago
Had LeBron opted in, that would have been a bad sign for Cleveland -- it would basically have meant that his camp had a trade partner lined up. As it stands now, CLE is still in the mix. According to a Cavs source, the team's "Plan A, B & C in free agency is to keep LeBron"

LeBron decision awaits, but his ‘I Promise’ program cements his legacy in Akron

By Zac Jackson 7h ago 7

LeBron​ James has​ been doing​ good deeds in his​ hometown for 15​ years. For the​ past​ seven, his​ foundation’s “I​​ PROMISE” program has given millions of dollars and hundreds of opportunities to Akron Public Schools students in myriad ways, most notably his 2015 pledge to pay for more than 1,000 students to attend the University of Akron.

While the basketball world awaits James’ deci– er, announcement, in the coming days regarding his playing future, he’s about a month from what he’s on many occasions called his most important accomplishment: In late July, the I PROMISE School opens in Akron. A LeBron James Family Foundation project, the school’s focus will be on at-risk children and their families with a year-round, specialized curriculum.

James was joking last fall when he said he “might be an assistant principal” at the school, but he’s long been visible and proactive when it comes to the foundation. He likes to say that if his name is on it, he’s involved. And LeBron James Family Foundation executive director Michele Campbell said she “feels a little like one of LeBron’s teammates” when the guy whose name is on the door gets excited about and personally invested in one of the foundation’s projects.

“LeBron is continually pushing us,” Campbell said. “I remember reporting back to him at one point that we had begun to come to the conclusion that the best way to reach the number of families we wanted to was going to be to put them in one school building. And LeBron’s reaction was, ‘Well, why aren’t we doing it? Let’s get that done.’

“Now that it’s almost here, we’re just so excited and proud of the work that’s gone into it. In everything with the foundation, we go back to the questions of who really is LeBron James and what were his experiences on his way to becoming the man he is today? He had a lot of people around him who helped him become the man he is. He was an Akron Public Schools student through eighth grade. To be in position now to directly impact so many families and so many kids with whom he has shared experiences is a tremendous blessing.”

A typical day at the I PROMISE School, principal Brandi Davis explained, will include small-group instruction; a humanities and engineering block; built-in extracurricular activities, including but not limited to robotics club, soccer and Spanish club; and family-based programs such as GED preparation and English as a Second Language instruction.

The I PROMISE School is a public elementary school, not a charter school. Family programs and extracurriculars are built into the curriculum and the extended school day. Per the foundation website, the school’s vision includes “an expansion of Akron Public Schools curriculum with a STEM, hands-on, problem-based learning focus” to create a “place where students are supported and challenged.”

The foundation funded fact-finding trips for Davis and other school employees to urban schools “up and down the Eastern Seaboard,” Campbell said, with hopes of “taking the best practices, learning how they’d best fit the I PROMISE School, and ultimately creating our own model to fit the best educational and inclusion philosophies.” Even with the challenges associated with basically starting from scratch and an abbreviated timeline, Campbell hasn’t changed or backed down from the school’s ultimate goal: to be the model of urban public education.

“A one-stop shop for families,” Davis said. “The focus is on the whole child, the whole family and year-round education and improvement.”

Davis is an Akron native who was most recently a principal at another Akron Public Schools elementary. She’s worked alongside district officials, foundation officials and community leaders from various backgrounds who were part of the school project’s initial planning and consultation. The LeBron James Family Foundation has more than 100 community partners, many of them local businesses that are specifically involved with the school in efforts that include fundraising and supporting various initiatives. Davis, who had been serving on the foundation’s advisory board, was chosen as principal from 35 applicants.

“There’s a heck a lot of pressure, not just on me but on all of us,” Davis said. “We welcome it. For me, this is a calling. It’s an unbelievable opportunity.

“We have lofty goals. But we also have the support, the vision and the ambition to make this succeed and eventually become the model others follow. The spirit of LeBron’s giving and his vision encourages every one of us to think big, and our student base will only benefit from a family-based approach.”

A formal plan for the I PROMISE School was submitted in April 2017, and final approval for a 2018 opening came last fall. The school will open to third- and fourth-graders July 30. First- and second-grade classes will be added next year, and by 2022 it will house students in grades 1-8. There are currently 34 employees and 12 teachers, and “a whole lot more” will be added over the next few years, Davis said. Students identified as best fits for the I PROMISE curriculum will be chosen via a lottery system, and the school eventually plans to fill at least three classrooms per grade level annually.

Earlier this month, more than 200 volunteers — most of them students at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where James was a student — spent a day moving desks, chairs and other items into the new school’s building, which had previously been used by Akron Public Schools as a swing space during various construction projects. Students, teachers and administrators will wear the I PROMISE wristbands James wears nearly every day, and each school day will start students and teachers reciting James’ promise pledge.

In a prepared statement late last year that followed the official announcement of the school moving forward, James said the chance “to meet the needs of these kids and their families means everything to me. There are so many kids and families struggling, and we want this school to be a safe, positive place that helps them stay on the right track to earning their educations.” When first discussing the school in a public setting, James better explained his personal attachment to his latest project benefiting Northeast Ohio kids, that the school bearing his name is aimed toward kids who faced similar challenges he faced when growing up.

“We’ve got so many kids that just don’t have no way out,” he said. “And we don’t have many people that try to help them get out as well. I feel like I’ve got so much to give to my hometown … so much to offer.

“It’s crazy, to be honest, that I have a school opening up. A real school. The basketball thing: It’s fun, I love it. I enjoy it. But to give back, being able to open up a school, that’s something that’ll last beyond my years.”

Lloyd: As LeBron James chooses free agency, this summer feels a lot like 2010, 2014 all over again

Jason Lloyd 1h ago 2
For​ the third​ time in​ four years since returning​ to Cleveland, LeBron​ James is a free​ agent.​ That isn’t​ the noteworthy​​ part. James’ agent, Rich Paul, informing the Cavs on Friday that he will not exercise his option and become a free agent was expected.

The unnerving part for Cavs fans should be how similar this feels to 2010 and even 2014. James distanced himself from the organization during the summer of 2010 when he ultimately chose to leave. Team personnel were unable to reach him that summer to consult him on what he wanted. Similarly, Pat Riley was reportedly frustrated with James in ’14 when he seemed distant and disengaged during their conversation in Las Vegas at the start of free agency. Days later, James was gone.

The Cavs have tried unsuccessfully to engage James this summer, according to multiple sources. He has again left Paul to handle all of his communication. James has been much more proactive in past summers working with the Cavs than he has been since the Finals ended in a sweep. He recruited for the Cavs in past summers, from calling Kevin Love to join him the summer he returned to pursuing Jamal Crawford last summer. The Cavs disagreed with him on Crawford and signed Cedi Osman instead.

Does James’ disappearance this summer guarantee he is leaving Cleveland? No. They can still offer him more than any other team, up to five years and roughly $207 million. If James leaves, the most another team can offer him is four years and about $150 million, based on cap projections.

But James said after the Finals ended he is still in championship mode. He is still pursuing more titles. The Cavs are 1-8 against the Warriors in their past two Finals series and the Cavs, despite multiple reports that they are trying to reshape their roster, have few viable paths to bring in the type of talent James realistically needs to topple Golden State.

James has made clear in the past he will not take less than max money. By opting out Friday, James seems to have eliminated the Houston Rockets, since their best chance at landing him was if he were to opt into his current deal and was then traded — similar to how Chris Paul arrived there last summer.

Now that he is a free agent, if he refuses to take less than max money, the only realistic contenders outside of Cleveland with the cap space to sign him are the Lakers and Sixers. (The league’s complicated salary cap and luxury tax rules would likely prevent James from joining the Rockets now through a sign-and-trade).

Two years ago, in the weeks and months after the city’s championship parade, the Cavs privately began mentioning the possibility James could leave for Los Angeles in the summer of 2018. Now it could be days from happening.

James is vacationing with his family in Anguilla. When he returns, he will likely have made up his mind on where he’ll play next season.

As Paul George considers the Lakers in free agency and Kawhi Leonard tries to force his way from San Antonio to Los Angeles, those around James insist trade negotiations between the Lakers and Spurs will not influence James’ decision.

The Lakers obtaining Leonard in no way assures James will follow. It’s worth noting, however, that one member of James’ inner circle acknowledged in November that the pairing of James, George and another star in Los Angeles would be tempting and something James would have to consider. Seven months later, that is suddenly a realistic scenario.

We need to face the facts. The longer contract and higher amounts the Cavs can offer mean nothing to Lebron. I do not see him signing a 5 year contract with the Cavs no matter what happens. So that eliminates that advantage.

If you have not read the Zach Lowe article on ESPN about free agency then you should. I will post it.

Lebron opting out means there are only 2 outcomes this summer. Lebron stays for basically a one year contract or Lebron leaves and there will be no compensation for the Cavs. Sort of a selfish plan but what the hell ?

LeBron, Paul George and more league-shaping free-agency madness
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Jun 28, 2018
Zach Lowe
ESPN Senior Writer

This column has been updated with the news that LeBron James will decline his player option and will become a free agent.

The madness is upon us. The landscape of the league is about to shift in ways that might cause the Golden State Warriors to look up from their phones and nod briefly in acknowledgement. Let's bounce around the major questions.

Where will LeBron go?

Reporting from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst over the past 48 hours suggests some urgency inside the Los Angeles Lakers to trade for Kawhi Leonard ahead of free agency as a means of cinching LeBron James. The Lakers stared down a similar situation a year ago with Paul George, opted to sit tight and must feel nerves reading chatter -- chatter I'd consider at least fairly credible -- that George is leaning toward staying in Oklahoma City.

Sources at several teams confirmed tidbits in those stories that the Lakers are reaching out across the league in search of an extra first-round pick, indicating they would take on some unwanted future salary to snare it -- a fascinating twist, given L.A.'s need to hoard cap space. That alone indicates the Lakers are at least a little worried and interested in nabbing Leonard now. If the Lakers build a super-ish team, their own future picks over the next three or four seasons lose value; they will presumably fall in the 20s. Thus the search for others.

The subtext of those reports might be that the Lakers viewed themselves in a race against the clock with LeBron's deadline to opt in on his $35.6 million deal with Cleveland at 11:59 p.m. Friday. (Update: James told Cleveland officials Friday morning he plans to decline his option -- i.e., to effectively opt out, sources say.) Had LeBron opted in, his path to the Lakers would have been more complicated, with more varied competition. And as Windhorst has reported, everyone around this situation is under the impression that LeBron wants to make his decision quickly.


James' decision Friday is a huge victory for the teams that can sign him outright -- the Sixers and Lakers -- and a defeat for the Rockets and others whose easiest path to a James coup involved him opting in and arranging a trade. It might be a victory for the Cavs, too. They can still re-sign James, and an opt-in would have almost certainly signaled his desire for a trade away from Cleveland. The Cavs can offer more money than any rival, and one extra year.

The mere perception that the Lakers were anxious about that opt-in deadline was obviously good for the Spurs. LeBron's decision to decline probably chips away a little of their leverage in trade talks with the Lakers. They don't want to trade Leonard to the Lakers, but in the end, insiders are betting Gregg Popovich, a franchise-first pragmatist, will bite the bullet and dance with whomever offers the most. (What the Spurs want for Leonard is a point of some contention. They should pivot into full rebuild mode, but they have indicated to at least some teams that they would prefer to remain competitive, sources say. It might depend on what exactly is offered.)

These opt-in deadlines are leverage pivot points. The Clippers dealt Austin Rivers for Marcin Gortat in part to tilt leverage with DeAndre Jordan (and perhaps the Mavericks, among his suitors) back in their favor. With a starting caliber center in tow, LA bargained harder in trade talks with Dallas until Jordan finally opted out Friday -- an outcome for which the Clippers had prepared. Jordan on an expiring deal simply did not have much of a trade market beyond Dallas.



Back to LeBron: I have never quite bought all-in on the idea that he absolutely needs a superstar partner in the bag to go to the Lakers. It would probably help, but LeBron's decision Friday may be a tell that it was never essential. Leonard could also be on the move soon. We'll see.

Regardless, transactions don't stop in mid-July. A Lakers team with LeBron, enticing young players and cap flexibility would instantly become one of the league's most appealing trade and free-agency destinations over the next 12 months. A second star could come in August or anytime before next season's trade deadline. A third star could come next summer. Sources have denied reports that LeBron texted Kevin Durant about possibly joining him in L.A., but if Durant signs a one-year deal this summer (or a one-plus-one with player option in Year 2), you can bet your life savings that every desirable team will be circling him all season. Durant's motives remain a mystery to everyone in the league.

The game of opt-in chicken -- Did the Lakers believe LeBron would opt in? Did LeBron want them to believe it? -- ended early. Now we wait for other shoes to drop.

Meanwhile, the Celtics and Sixers have kicked the tires on Leonard, and both have the goods to outbid even the best L.A. offers -- unless the Lakers get crazy and include three first-round picks and two of their best young players. (They likely wouldn't send both Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball to San Antonio, though there are persistent questions around the league about whether LeBron would want to play with the Lakers amid the Ball family circus. A logical endpoint and middle ground for negotiations ahead of Friday's deadline might be something like Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and two unprotected first-round picks.)

Both Boston and Philly have been cautious. They don't know about Leonard's current or long-term health, or if they could trust the word of Leonard and his advisors about his intentions next summer -- if they even gain permission to have such a conversation. Both should have some faith in their culture and rosters and in the extra fifth year they could offer Leonard next summer.

If the Lakers now whiff on George and Leonard with James having opted out, how will things unfold if LeBron goes back to Cleveland without any better option (other than perhaps Philly) and asks for a new contract? Think about that from Gilbert's perspective. He could finally say that he had beaten LeBron in a negotiation. Would he dare squeeze him and ask LeBron to agree to a deal without a no-trade clause? What great theater. The Cavs in that scenario could sign-and-trade LeBron almost anywhere he wants to go, including Houston, but that route is thornier than the opt-in-and-trade path -- and almost impossible for the Rockets.

Other teams want LeBron to move fast. His choice will ripple across the league. Think about the Raptors. Marc Stein of The New York Times has already reported that anyone on Toronto's roster could be had for the right price, and a couple of teams say the Raptors brain trust at least implied as much during calls on draft night. A rebuild is coming at some point for The North. But how could they feel comfortable igniting that process without first knowing if LeBron will leave the Eastern Conference and clear away one unmovable obstacle to the NBA Finals?

Yes, Philly and Boston will be better next season -- perhaps good enough that Toronto shouldn't care about LeBron's decision if someone offers the Raptors the motherlode for Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan. But it would be painful to detonate a 59-win team and then watch James bolt. (Boston, for what it's worth, is confident it can retain Kyrie Irving next summer, despite persistent rumblings he might consider leaving for one of the New York teams, per league sources.)

The wait will end soon.



What about Paul George?

George re-signing for the max would be one of the great victories of Sam Presti's tenure as Oklahoma City's GM -- validation of the precise, development-focused culture he has built and of the giant risk in dealing for a star on an expiring contract with well-publicized eyes for L.A.

The stakes are enormous. If George re-signs, the Thunder have a two-star path to somewhere for at least another season or two. (There have been reports George might sign a one-plus-one deal to re-enter free agency next summer. But at that point, George would have only nine years of service -- one short of qualifying for the largest possible maximum salary. If George wants to dip back into free agency as soon as he is eligible for that contract, a two-plus-one would make the most sense. The Thunder will and should offer the full five-year max, since that fifth year is the carrot only they can dangle; rival offers top out at four seasons. It's easy to say George would make up that money on his next contract, but this dude shattered his leg four years ago.)

NBA free agency and trades!

LeBron James and Paul George are among the biggest names on the open market. Here's the latest on another thrilling summer:



If he leaves, the Thunder have Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Steven Adams, a bunch of role players and limited cap flexibility in 2019 and beyond. We saw that movie in 2016-17, and it will get old fast. It leads nowhere interesting. George leaving would at least raise the question of transitioning into a full-on rebuild, a teardown the likes of which Thunder fans have never really witnessed, and sniffing out what Westbrook might fetch on the trade market.

Is that cold? Yes. Westbrook is the one who stayed. Losing all three of James Harden, Durant and Westbrook in the span of six or seven years -- before any of them passed their primes -- would be depressing.

But Westbrook's super-max carries huge risk on the back end, and Presti is no fool. He will not close off any options.

That said, it's possible Presti never finds an offer rich enough to move Westbrook. Even deals that look good -- say, a completely theoretical Knicks offer of Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox and two unprotected first-round picks -- could morph into pu-pu-platter of blah within two or three seasons. Westbrook guarantees competitiveness and fun.

If George comes back, the Thunder payroll would rocket toward $240 million including luxury tax. It would normalize in 2019-20, after Anthony's hideous deal expires, and perhaps the Thunder's deeper-pocketed-than-you-think ownership would swallow a one-year bill.

But that isn't a run-of-the-mill tax bill. That is some Warriors- and Cavs-level indulgence. It feels like something would have to give, though it's unclear what. Anthony is going to surrender only so much in a buyout. Waiving him via the stretch provision brings more relief, but the Thunder might feel squeamish embarrassing him like that.



What does the cap crunch mean?

• The legacy of the 2016 cap spike and resulting spending orgy: Only a half-dozen or so teams have pathways to meaningful cap space, and three of them -- Atlanta, Chicago and Sacramento -- are signaling they plan to use it to take on bad salary and extract draft picks as the price, sources say. (That is a particularly interesting, and smart, decision for the Kings, considering they don't own their 2019 pick and as a result have some incentive to compete. But they have zero chance of being good and should look at the lost pick as a sunk cost. If they hunt players instead of dead money, I'd expect them to chase younger free agents -- including restricted guys such as Aaron Gordon, Jabari Parker and perhaps Zach LaVine.)

The lack of space in theory transforms the full midlevel exception, worth almost $9 million per year, into a powerful tool, but only a few teams have access to that. A sad number of blah over-the-cap teams -- Wizards, Pistons, Bucks, Wolves, Heat, Pelicans, Nuggets, Trail Blazers and perhaps even the Hornets -- are so close to the tax that they can't or shouldn't use the full midlevel and will realistically have access to only the baby one for tax teams (worth about $5.5 million). Thanks, summer of 2016 cap spike!

That is going to be the ceiling for a lot of good players who wish to change teams. Those players will be very disappointed. Some will start free agency with hopes of a nice multiyear contract and settle a week or two into it for one-year deals, hoping to cash in on next summer's more player-friendly market. (Several players have already effectively done this by exercising player options.) Teams will find bargains in mid-July.

Several teams that have the big midlevel -- the Knicks, Spurs, Grizzlies, maybe the Magic and Jazz -- should leverage this environment to sign good players to longer-term deals. We tend to laud short-term deals as wins for teams. Think of Tyreke Evans last season or Atlanta's initial two-year, $19 million deal for Paul Millsap in 2013. But as those deals expire, we all go, "Man, wouldn't it be nice to have that player on that salary for another year or two?"

Some teams will worry that such deals would compromise future cap space. The Knicks, with big free-agency dreams in 2019 and 2020, seem like such a team. But the league will be (relatively) flush with cap space again in 2019 as more deals from the mega-summer of 2016 vanish. It will never be like 2016 again for players, especially as more of them flood next summer's market, but 2019 and 2020 will be loads better than this summer.

For lots of teams, that means their own cap space won't be as much of a competitive advantage. If they can ink good players to longer-term deals now, many of them should.

• Utah and Indiana are especially interesting in this regard. Both want to get better, and Utah rightfully thinks it is a piece or two away from being really good. The Jazz need to renounce both Derrick Favors and Dante Exum -- and ditch their nonguaranteed deals -- to open meaningful room, so they might end up staying above the cap, retaining Favors (and Exum) and using the midlevel.

It's unclear how much of a market Favors has beyond Utah and Dallas, and the Mavs might take themselves out of the big man market before Favors even hits it. Incumbent teams should be able to retain solid veterans on multiyear deals by offering them a little more than the near-$9 million midlevel.

• Another downside of one-year deals from the team perspective: In many cases, they give players a de facto no-trade clause due to quirky rules about Bird rights. The Celtics, for instance, might feel queasy about overspending on Marcus Smart -- and fine with Smart taking his one-year qualifying offer. But they need midsized contracts to match salary in trades, and Smart on a multiyear deal is one of their only methods of acquiring them.

• Most league executives expect a cool market for restricted free agents, which could lead to a few of them -- including Smart -- signing one-year qualifying offers and entering unrestricted free agency next summer. Dallas might have feared this when it withdrew Doug McDermott's qualifying offer mere hours after tendering it.

Smart and Jusuf Nurkic look like the best candidates for this strategy. Nurkic turned down a rich, four-year extension in the fall, league sources say, and might struggle to find any team other than Portland willing to offer more than the midlevel. Portland could try to retain him long-term at a courtesy salary just above that -- say, $11 million or $12 million per year -- and dare Nurkic to do better.

• Teams with starrier restricted free agents -- Orlando with Gordon, Chicago with LaVine, Milwaukee with Parker -- figure to bring heftier offers. None has reason to come out of the gates with a max offer. Remember: Parker and the Bucks cut off extension talks in the fall when it became clear that Milwaukee's parameters centered around the $18 million range over three seasons, sources have told ESPN. Some of these negotiations could take a while. Houston's dance with Clint Capela could get spicy.

• The Pacers might force Orlando's hand with a $20 million-ish offer sheet for Gordon, according to Wojnarowski's reporting, betting that Orlando might decline to match after selecting Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba in back-to-back drafts. (Indiana can carve out about $20 million in room even with Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic on the books. Young exercised his player option for next season, per a report by Wojnarowski; Bogdanovic and Collison are on mostly nonguaranteed deals.)

There has been mild discontent for years within the Magic about Gordon's unwillingness to accept a smaller role on offense and his ambitions to be a ball-dominant star. But Gordon could develop into a Swiss Army knife-style secondary star. This would be a worthwhile play for the Pacers. If their offer sheet lands at about $20 million, I'd bet on the Magic to match -- even if just to trade Gordon later -- but it's not a bet I'd feel super-confident about.

• It will be interesting how market dynamics affect the other subset of extensions: those for first-round picks from the 2015 draft class entering their fourth seasons. A few, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, figure to receive max-level offers early -- if not right at midnight July 1.

A note on Towns: He is not eligible for the super-max, paying him 30 percent of the cap, even though he made an All-NBA team last season. He has to make it again next season. The Wolves can write that contingency into his extension, guaranteeing him the super-max if he qualifies.

If Towns qualifies, Minnesota could be on the hook for about $125 million in 2019-20 salary to only five guys: Towns, Jimmy Butler (presumably on a new max deal), Jeff Teague ($19 million player option for that season), Gorgui Dieng and Andrew Wiggins. That doesn't even include recent draft picks or anyone the Wolves might sign to a two-year deal this summer.

That looks untenable. I would expect the Wolves to explore the trade market for Wiggins soon, if they haven't started already. To shed his salary, they might have to wait until next summer, when a team with unused cap room could be willing to take Wiggins into space -- and send out something nice in return.

The Wolves have explored the possibility of getting far enough under the cap -- about $10 million -- to extend Butler up to his max salary this summer, sources say, but that would require dumping both Wiggins and Dieng. Unlikely.

• The rest of the interesting extension-eligible guys from that draft class might find a leaner initial market: Terry Rozier, Justise Winslow, Trey Lyles, Myles Turner, Stanley Johnson, Frank Kaminsky, Willie Cauley-Stein, Kelly Oubre, Delon Wright and perhaps a couple others. Teams are going to squeeze early, hoping these guys watch good veterans sign for cheap and come back to the table in late July with lower expectations. At the same time, agents know there will be more money in the system next summer, when these players could enter restricted free agency. Finding common ground might prove difficult.



Other notes on teams in tax hell
• Once again, there are few veterans for whom an extension -- which can start at 120 percent of their current salary or 120 of the league-average salary -- makes any sense. Two such guys are in Milwaukee: Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton. I'd expect the Bucks to engage Middelton, earning $13 million in the final guaranteed year of his contract, and for Middleton to shut them down. If the Bucks are willing, Bledsoe -- earning $15 million -- should think very hard about it.

• If they miss out on the big stars, the Rockets might approach Eric Gordon for extension talks once they are allowed to do so in July, sources say. I would still bet on Houston offering Chris Paul something less than his full five-year max, especially given the tax advantage of Texas living.

• An extension for Tobias Harris at 120 percent of his $14.8 million salary makes sense in theory but somehow feels unlikely. The Clippers might be hesitant to commit that much to him.

• Denver, with Nikola Jokic on a new deal, is set to be more than $10 million above the tax before accounting for Will Barton, whom the Nuggets would like to re-sign. Dumping both Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur would probably not crack open enough space to ink Barton and safely duck the tax. Denver could also explore sloughing away Mason Plumlee or Wilson Chandler.

They have to be prepared to attach their 2019 first-rounder, which they feverishly tried to trade during the draft to acquire another pick in the teens after selecting Michael Porter Jr., sources say. (They wanted Zhaire Smith.)

• Denver's five-year deal for Jokic carries no player option in Jokic's fifth year, sources say. It is a straight five-year contract -- something Denver justifiably wanted as a concession for declining Jokic's cheapo 2018-19 option and giving him an immediate raise.

• Keep an eye on Greg Monroe in New Orleans if the Pelicans hold firm on plans to offer DeMarcus Cousins a shorter, non-max deal -- and somehow lose him. The much-dreamed-of sign-and-trade sending Cousins to Washington is very tricky given both teams' tax situations and might require a third team -- if Washington and Cousins are even interested.

• Another sneaky veteran extension candidate: Al-Farouq Aminu. But a 120 percent raise would leave him below the midlevel, and so he probably rejects it. Portland should still offer, though.

• Several teams called the Heat about Josh Richardson during the draft, but Miami showed no interest in trading him despite their tax bill, sources say. Something has to give with Miami's cap sheet, too.

• There is some mutual interest between the Warriors and Jamal Crawford in a potential minimum deal, sources say. He might want more than the minimum. It's unclear if the Warriors will use their mini-midlevel exception, but if they do, it likely will not be on Crawford.

Other notes on teams with flexibility
• T.J. McConnell is an interesting extension candidate. There has been little noise so far about a potential deal.

• The easiest call on the board: Phoenix acquiring a point guard, either in free agency (Fred VanVleet is a name to watch) or via trade. The problem for Phoenix is that most of its young players are either untouchable (Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton), somewhere approaching that (Josh Jackson), a little unknowable in terms of NBA-level ability (Mikal Bridges), or hold little trade value (Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss) Chriss was available on draft night, per league sources.

They can take small swings on guys such as Jeremy Lin, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph and Patrick Beverley -- a perfect fit next to Booker, though he is recovering from microfracture surgery -- packaging Bender and some salary filler (Jared Dudley). That is probably not enough for Rozier, another nice fit. Milos Teodosic is another name to watch -- a playmaker who would make Ayton's life much easier. But in the long run, the Suns need a plus defender next to Booker.


Bigger fish would require Phoenix either sliding Jackson or a bundle of future first-round picks into a trade -- or finding a team over the moon for Bridges. Jackson may be the swing piece, whether the Suns like it or not. He puts Kemba Walker in play. Would a rebuilding Raptors team say no to Dudley, Tyson Chandler and Jackson for Kyle Lowry? (I doubt Phoenix does that, but it makes you pause.) What about Mike Conley if the Grizz pull the plug (and Conley proves healthy)?

Phoenix has shown no interest so far in Dennis Schroder, sources say.

Enjoy the fun!

Windhorst knows LeBron is seriously considering LA, but added at the end of the show: "The Cavs advantage is what they have, not what they could be. The Lakers are selling a dream. The Cavs are selling a reality."

Report: The Cavs Would’ve Traded For Paul George Last Season If LeBron Said He’d Stay

By Brad Stevenson - June 30, 2018 - In NBA Media

It’d be fair to say that this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers roster has been one of the worst LeBron James has had the (dis)pleasure of carrying all the way to the NBA Finals, comparing to the 2007 Cavs squad that James also dragged to the Finals to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs. In his 15th season in the NBA, James had to put in a superhuman campaign almost all season-long for the Cavaliers to make the Finals for the fourth year in a row, and because of this, it comes as no surprise to see LeBron opt out of his contract to officially become a free agent this summer like many were expecting.

Many will say that LeBron ultimately had no help for the majority of last season — which is true — and that LeBron couldn’t have done a thing more to increase the Cavaliers’ odds of winning a title last season, but according to reports, all James had to do was tell Dan Gilbert he was staying in Cleveland past this offseason to receive that little bit of much-needed help.


Dan Feldman
@DanFeldmanNBA
Report: Cavaliers would’ve traded Kevin Love for Paul George if LeBron James committed long-term last summer https://ift.tt/2tG4Vfn

4:09 PM - Jun 29, 2018

Report: Cavaliers would’ve traded Kevin Love for Paul George if LeBron James committed long-term...
And probably kept Kyrie Irving.


“James’ unwillingness to commit beyond the 2017-18 season made it challenging for Cavs management to execute a trade for George last summer, because George wanted a James commitment beyond next season to make one of his own.”

Cleveland would have reportedly offered All-Star Kevin Love as well as a future first-round pick for George, and for all we know, the addition of PG to Cleveland may have convinced Kyrie Irving to stay with the Cavs and duke it out one more time with a new big three.

Even though the pairing never came to fruition in Cleveland, the two All-Stars have another chance to join forces in Los Angeles this summer.

All of that is somewhat old news really but:

To me, now it retrospect, if you look back at their draft pick AND the young guys they got at the trade dealine (except George Hill) it would not surprise me at all if all involved KNEW this was Lebron's last year in Cleveland even before the season.

I just have to wonder.

Well it is well known that Kyrie was irked that Lebron would not commit to being in Cleveland past this last season. Kyrie was not going to be left holding the bag. Instead he said if you will not commit " I am out of here now. " Lebron told the team to not trade Kyrie. The team said commit. Lebron said no. The team trys to trade with Indiana. George says commit. Lebron says no.

Steven A Smith and some poster here were the only ones that said Lebron was going to Miami.

Steven has an in to one of Lebron's inner circle.

What was Steven saying this week ?

That Dan Gilbert was quoted by another owner as saying if Lebron left at least he would get his team back.

If you read the tea leaves it seems like Gilbert has been setting the stage since the end of the 2017 season.

That off season was the end of the kiss Lebrons butt. Griffin tried to trade Love for George, offered Love to Phoenix, and talked about Kyrie with other teams. All with the same non commitment from Lebron. I think Gilbert said " I have had enough". I spent big tax dollars. I am all in. Tired of this bull crap. Got my championship. Get rid of Griffin. Griffin was the peacemaker between different players. Get rid of Kyrie but get a draft pick and hope to get lucky to start over again. Trade deadline get younger. Hope to at least make the playoffs in 2019 and move on.



Gilbert probably figured that if Lebron stayed it would be because he wants his family to grow up in Akron. If he left then none of that matters and Cleveland and Gilbert never had a chance.

Most of this past season I thought Lebron would land in Houston. Watching him land in LA on the day before he can officially declare with any team points everything to LA.

At this point I agree with all of the above rusty. It all points to LA - apparently with Kawhi and not PG though.

Well, I don't see this one but he and Jokic would be the best passing show in the world if it did happen:



The Nuggets will turn their attention to LeBron James, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports.

As crazy as this sounds, Mannix was the reporter to break the Will Barton news this evening. He adds that the Nuggets have been aggressive in pursuing a meeting with the NBA's best free agent. It's a total long shot, but maybe LeBron hears what they have to say. It would also have to be a sign-and-trade or something along those lines.

Cavs general manager Koby Altman spoke on the phone to both LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul, according to Tom Withers of the AP.

The call took place shortly after 12:01 EDT, but the topics on the call are unknown. This report adds that LeBron "is not expected to drag out a decision that could reshape the league’s landscape," which matches up with several reports from the weekend. Maybe we find out where LeBron is going early Sunday morning.

LeBron James' representatives will meet with the 76ers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Surprisingly, we haven't heard much about the Lakers over the past 12 hours. LeBron has spoken with Cavs general manager Koby Altman over the phone, while the Nuggets are desperately trying to secure a meeting.

It's fun to imagine LeBron joining forces with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and staying in the Eastern Conference does have it's advantages. At this point, the Lakers, 76ers and Cavaliers appear to be the clear frontrunners.