[Amick] LeBron James' free agency: Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul or Paul George could sway decision

I don't think the Lebron/George/Kawhi super team is going to happen no matter what, so it's really about whether he and George can both go to LA while allowing them to keep Randle.

Let' say they could, they could then make a deal with Charlotte potentially to grab Kemba.

Is Kemba/Lebron/George/Kuzma/Randle good enough to win in the West? I think so. Can't beat the Warriors, but quite honestly (and I know nobody here agrees) I can't promise a Rockets team with Lebron added will beat the Warriors.

 

I think the key to lebron is our owner. LeBron may want a one on one talk with Tillman as he has done so on his second FA back to Cavs.

Obviously during that time it was more or less has to do with Cavs owner treatment to lebron went he go to heat.

If Tillman is willing to spend and I mean spend big on all those taxes, I see no team better than us on beating GSW. Lakers with PG or eventually with kawhi is still not good enough against GSW. They got no good Head coach.

 

I disagreed with those who said LeBron's legacy is set. It is not set until the wind blows. Who to say LeBron can't achieve more with 3 to 5 left on his career?

Look at Kobe. Anyone putting him in the discussion of GOAT??? He won 5 rings just one shy of Jordan's. Yet we hear bron and MJ comparion only.

 

I think Houston, depending on who gets shipped out in the transaction (i.e. Anderson and Gordon), has a system in place that can still win in the regular season without LeBron playing 82 games and exhausting himself. It was proven last year when Paul missed games and again when Harden missed games. I think that goes a long way into his long term goal of playing in the NBA with this son. On the Lakers, he'll most likely have to put in the same effort as last year because that team has no system in play and they'll probably have no depth to support a Big 3.

Funny you mention this because I felt the same way about our owner. Bad ownership in Cleveland is pretty much making James leave for the 2nd time in his career. If he had even an average owner, I doubt LeBron would have left the first time. I think Tilman, being a business man with active involvement in his own businesses, might be another plus for LeBron. He can expand his brand to other industries (e.g. food, casinos) once he retires. What can he learn from Magic from a business perspective that he doesn't already know? And it's not like Jerry Buss is still around.

 

Lebron isn't passing Jordan. I think his best case scenario is coming to Houston and hoping to win 1 or 2. If he goes to LA he's hoping to win 1 and it won't be next year.

That's how I see it. I think people here aren't realistic about how good the Warriors are and that they'll probably be better next year. The year AFTER next is when something might change though.

So does Lebron want to try for 2 titles or settle for hoping for a title contender in LA? We'll see.

 

Blaze Pizza coming to a Golden Nugget location near you!

 

What makes you think Lakers can get walker? Will PG really be joining Lebron? U think MJ is going to take ball for walker??? After all his father talks?

Dont forget Celtics will be getting better with their two super stars back. Kawhi maybe heading east even if it's just for one year.

East won't be as easy as this year for bron.

 

The Lakers run a good system as well though they just don't have a star.

Honestly though, here's the knocks against Houston as I see them:
1) His family doesn't want to live here (Ok so they can live in LA and he can live here, not ideal but can work)
2) He doesn't want to finish his career here. Let's be real, if he comes here it's a year by year deal. Does he want to switch teams AGAIN after this?
3) What if he comes here and we LOSE? I feel like that will be a BIG mark on his legacy.
4) We're not LA. Is he ready for THE market? A team that makes so much in revenue that they will never worry about luxury taxes.

That's it really.

 

I'm not saying they can get him, just throwing out hypotheticals.

 

I doubt that. GSW will be entering FA next season with Thompson and Green. You think after they max KD and Curry they could still max the other two???

Harden will be in his prime along with CC. LeBron winning 3 rings is not that too stretch of imagination. CP3 will be playing the role of Parker at that age and Lebron should still be serviceable if no major injuries.

 

Base on your logic then LeBron should join GSW.

 

Unknowns. LBJ would be going to the West with many unknowns if he picks LAL.

I hope you would agree that there are far less in Houston depending on the package that went out. Again.. if it's EG/Anderson/fillers/picks going out, that is as bullet proof as you can get if you are Lebron.

 

I think this next team has to be his last or next-to-last stop or he is a "mercenary" or "journeyman". "Welp, didn't work here in LA/Philly/Houston, I gotta go find the next team!"

Other than a) going back to Cleveland to retire b) going back to Miami to retire c) heading to the team that drafts or signs his son (to play with him) ... other than that, can't see him moving teams again.

He can stay in Cleveland and get away with losing. Any team he goes to and doesn't win could leave a mark on his legacy.

He joins Philly/Simmons/Embiid, he's expected to win.
He joins 65-win Houston, he's expected to win.
He joins the Lakers, right he wants to build his own super team rather than walking into one, Paul George, maybe Kawhi, he's expected to win. It's the Lakers, "We're all about championships!", he's expected to win.

 

If/when LeBron comes here, I hope he continues the trend of bringing in Klutch Sports clients like, say, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the MLE.

 

Lakers fans will turn on Lebron pretty quickly. "SEE.. KO-BE WAS BETTER!!"

 

"How many rings can I win in 5 years" is the only thing Lebron wants to hear in meetings

 

According to most reports there is acrimony between Lebron and Gilbert starting when Lebron left for Miami and Gilbert published his letter in the paper. Lebron did come back to still Gilbert owned Cavs, so there was some thawing. Word was one of Lebron's requirements to return was an open check book from Gilbert to sign anybody needed. Don't know if the whole GM issue this year made the relation worse.

Opps, this was in response to Corrosion's post. When I started this post I was right after him. Now I just realize how old and slow I am.

 

Right which is a big reason he may not come here. Is he really prepared to commit to ending his career in Houston?

 

Spurs aren't likely to trade Kawhi to the west. Sixers and Boston are the destinations I think Kawhi might go to, so he likely isn't going to the Lakers. Boston has Kyrie, so I don't LeBron going there, but could see Kawhi there. I could see LeBron going to the Sixers, but he has to be aware of Embid's injury history. I would be wary of going there, Joel could go down at any time, and with the Boston team, the East doesn't look as easy anymore. If I was LeBron, I'd put up with the humidity and mosquitos in Houston and win some championships! Lots of NBA players have homes here because of the taxes. Why not LeBron?

 

I think this actually doesn't bode well for Houston. If he opts out to become a free agent so teams can make a pitch to him that really puts Houston in a tough spot and it would require a sign and trade or the very unlikely scenario where LeBron signs on the cheap.

The Rockets front office cannot make a pitch to LeBron right now without it being tampering. Of course different when Chris Paul or Harden are trying to reach out to LeBron.

On the flip side it could mean something positive in that LeBron really just wants to focus on the basketball side of things and not other factors (much like how the Lakers tried to pitch LMA a few years ago on LA and not the Lakers) and when it comes to the basketball side of things Houston does have an advantage.


On the "neutral" front though it could mean he probably has his mind made up on where he is planning to go or stay and doesnt want teams wasting their time.