(USA Today) Rockets have a shot at LeBron next year

We're underdogs, it's so. That's because we haven't won it all and they have. But we're hardly "heavy" underdogs. We clearly own the best chance to unseat them and we're only getting better as the team gets used to playing together. Harden and Paul are just finding their groove in shared minutes. That's going to get better and better. Capela's growing up before our eyes. Gordon can beast and so can Anderson or Ariza. We're solid from 1-10. And we own the best +/- in the league. And this year's team wins from offense created by defense. It's unlike any Rockets team in memory.

We have a better chance of upsetting the Warriors than any Western team has in years. "Heavy" underdogs? I think not.

 

This is also why I think Lebron will make the move to Houston. Right now GS could make a historic run on titles. Their only threat has been Lebron during this run. Durant joining up seriously unbalanced everything. Now only chance James has of getting another title is to pull a Durant and join with other superstars. And there is only ONE other team that is even close to GS and that’s Houston.

I really believe it will happen. James wants to beat the best and Warriors vs Harden and the banana boat is the best matchup since the 80s Lakers Celtics.

 

to me it’s either he’s staying in Cleveland or coming to Houston...I don’t buy him going to places like LA or Philly at all

the anticipation for a series between Houston and GS might just be the greatest in NBA history...I mean, that would be 2 teams capable of winning 70+ games if healthy with a ton of superstar power battling it out

 

It's not about gaining anything. If you know anything about lebron you should know that he likes to keep ppl speculating about his "next stop". He may be the biggest attention w**** in the game lol. If Bron leaves the land it'll be for a team no one is even mentioning imo. That's just how he seems to conduct business

 

Your right, I don't know Lebron and nor do you. Your understanding of his character is based on what you get from the media.

Players get labelled all the time and some of them are not true. We should know, as the beard has been a victim of that.

Reason ang logic says that the simpliest explanation is usually the best one. Is it possible that he was just truly complimenting our team? Is it that much of a reach that it is within his character to do so knowing that those are his boys?

 

Bruh are you seriously trying to debate something I clearly stated as "my opinion"

Smh you sad

 

Bro, so what is the use of sharing our opinions in the public forum if there is a rule that nobody should question it?

Your claims suggested that he had an agenda. It did not make sense to my simple brain so I asked.

 

Stop saying this. The league was already unbalanced. Just look at LeBrons road to the Finals every year of his career.

 

Forget LeBron. Sure others have written what LeBron said this past week.

He said he would not take a max money discount to play anywhere.

Let Bron-Bron flutter in the wind, in Cleveland losing to the Warriors yr after yr as they abuse Isaiah Thomas
and his piss poor post up defense.

Or try forming an empire in LA.

#notworthyofmatchingMJ

 

He got to the finals with no love and a hurt Kyrie.

 

Still more than the Hawks or Bulls had. But let me guess, you think the Hawks were a legit 60 win contender and not a fluke. They even had trouble in the first 2 rounds.

 

Lebron is playing 37 a game to prepare for playing for Dantoni

 

Almost like 2 all-star teams playing for realz.

 

I agree that we have the best shot at beating them out of everyone, but yes I'd say heavy. They're really banged up and only 2 games behind us as well as we're playing. They have 4 top 20 players, arguably 3 top 10 players and 2 MVPs. Their talent level is significantly higher than ours.

 

Looking like Ragnar Lothbrok out there.

 

Sam Amick:

(LeBron?) I don't know where he goes. Mood of the moment for obvious reasons, I'd lean towards him leaving. I understand people's idea that the quickest track to staying in the Finals every year is Cleveland because of the East but Boston & Toronto are legit. That narrative is outdated. The days of surrounding him with halfway decent players & get to the Finals I think is gone.

The relationship stuff is a major factor. I mentioned Dan Gilbert earlier. From my understanding, Dan & LeBron mended fences enough to get it to where it had been(won a title, Finals in consecutive years) but it's not like they had a kumbaya moment & became best friends. That never happened. LeBron, again in his passive aggressive ways, is making sure the Cavs know he's not OK with them sitting on their hands, they always need to work to earn his presence. Right now, the combination of how bad they're playing & what we know they're trying to do roster wise, I don't think it's the kind of thing to compel him to stay. If they make noise in the playoffs...the playoffs will come into play in a big way.

I wrote about Houston a lot earlier this year & heard some really, really interesting stuff on that front & am a sucker for that idea. I know people say don't go West, how can you get into the ring with the Warriors, with the Spurs, this new Thunder team if they ever figure it out but the Rockets for one not only just showed us again they can push the Warriors, they have his best friend Chris Paul. I'm not trying to make too much of a friendship but those guys would play wonderfully together. James Harden right now I still think is the MVP. The idea of going at the Warriors from that direction in terms of LeBron's story, it'd be a hell of a chapter to add what has already been an incredible career. Not only did you go at the Warriors & maybe take them down, you did it in their playground so to speak.

I get the sense, as far as the way his story is being told, the idea of him catching Michael Jordan & getting to 6 looks challenging at the moment. That's a lot of work. One legacy & thing he could secure is the idea of every single place he went, they won it all. Going to 3 different franchises & winning a championship, that's different than Kobe, that's different than Michael. Stuff like that crosses his mind.

Whether it's Houston or... San Antonio I'm still skeptical on because of the Pop situation. I guess if he's gonna do one-year contracts & re-assess every summer, I guess it's worth watching. Philly is fun to talk about but I don't see happening. Maybe I'll be wrong. They have a great, young core. If Embiid was more reliable health wise, maybe we'd have more noise on that front. To your original question, I'm leaning towards him leaving at this point. I didn't even mention the Lakers.

(Lakers) I don't (see it happening) either. Lakers thing, ...The King is not gonna put up with every headline being Lonzo's daddy chiming in on the Lakers.

Looking at schools & off court factors, the qualifier there is it's LA. A lot of these guys have houses out there. Also, it was a new house in LA, not a 2nd house. He's planning on selling the first one. The school subplot, someone I trust told me it was a complete misunderstanding. Again, maybe it's not the case. He was shooting a commercial near that school, said I want to take a breather & get some shots in, where's the nearest court around here? He wound up shooting at the school. From there, they're poking around. He was shooting a commercial around the corner. This is what we've come to & what we do. Find the bread crumbs & where their minds are.

As dysfunctional as the Lakers are to a degree, they have gotten themselves back as a brand. They have LakerLand, Magic running the show, there is glitz on the brand again, so they'll be in the conversation. ... If you have a mountain of bread crumbs, there is truth in there somewhere. Some of it means something. It's hard to figure out what is & isn't true. I go to LA relatively often. I go one time & see Maverick Carter saying hello to Daryl. You're connecting dots. I go a few weeks later, you might see Maverick talking to someone from Utah. You dismiss it. Who cares? It doesn't matter. You're picking & choosing what bread crumbs you care to pay attention to.

 

Full Sam Amick pod:



(Any chance Kawhi could be available?) I have a never say never rule of law. I have no reason to believe he's remotely available.

(What will the Cavs end up doing?) We shall see. I would tend to lean towards them being active. I don't see that D.J. deal happening or any of the big things unless they're doing a good job bluffing. It is January 22nd but I find their situation interesting. This is LeBron James. The idea of losing him this summer. ... I had one GM put it to me this way, in relation to the Brooklyn pick they're so far not willing to use, you're making the choice of preparing for life after LeBron or improving life with him. The longer I chew on this, I find it insane...if there's a player you put everything on the table for, it's LeBron. It's a Dan Gilbert thing. Dan doesn't want to get burned again. I get it but I think it's a mistake. If this deadline comes & go without them shooting every bullet in the gun to keep LeBron, I think it's the wrong move. Right now, I'd lean towards that happening.

(Lou Williams trade?) ... I think he gets moved, I don't know where. Cavs could use him. He's a guy, that as much as the Clippers are madly in love with him, it'll be hard not to cash in & get that asset back in return. They want a first, no question. There is also a chance of talking about an extension & where he sticks around. He's 31. I think he probably goes.

(DeAndre Jordan) If you're Cleveland and you're going down the checklist of impact players, Paul George isn't moving. DeMarcus Cousins, not only do I don't think he's moving, that's not getting LeBron to re-sign in Cleveland. DeAndre, he checks a lot of boxes so maybe they'll surprise me and pay what it takes to get him.

(Bucks?) Last I heard, yes they were in the conversation but a product of still a couple weeks before the deadline. No element of seriousness to the discussion. They're not letting anyone from their core get talked about when it comes to D.J. coming their way. No progress there. I don't know the other teams involved. A decent handful of teams the Clippers are involved with. They're assessing their own stuff on a daily basis. Figure out the market & watch the games. Do they get deeper into playoff position & gauge the locker room. The Clippers right now take a lot of pride they're having fun now when Chris Paul left them in the dust. That matters to them. They don't want to lose that. That's kinda what they're chewing on right now.

(Does Kemba Walker get moved?) Detroit is worth watching. We know how competitive Stan Van Gundy is. He's wearing both hats(GM & coach). If you put yourself in his seat, he's thinking we're one move away from where we want to be. Other part is we're only a couple months removed from when they talked about Reggie Jackson for Eric Bledsoe deal. That was revealing. I heard Reggie Jackson stuff leading up to that. Up to that point, we kinda thought Reggie was Stan's guy. Reggie isn't having a great year & Kemba would be an upgrade. They could use him but also the appetite is so strong there. Charlotte could find itself a good deal, as far as willingness to put assets on the table. Knicks another team that could have an appetite. Kemba in the Garden would be fun. Pacers maybe another one but we'll see. Not hearing a ton of substance about progress anywhere.

(Thoughts on Portland possibly moving Lillard or McCollum?--report from Marc Stein) I'm not hearing that. It was within the last 2 weeks that I was told they weren't moving those guys. Neil Olshey is not only aggressive, he's also good at laying in the weeds. His business gets done in the dark. I remember when he gave Greg Monroe an offer sheet one year. The thing was done & didn't get out until 2 days later. He's strategic. You have an owner in Paul Allen who owns the entire team. He's looking at Neal saying this has been a fun couple years but I want to keep going & want to put a trophy here. They'll be creative & active. Damian, the perception is Damian is the most untouchable guy there. I don't see it happening. They have to think about that stuff. Look at the standings, middle of the road team with no realistic shot of even a conference finals, let alone a title. Marc is one of the best in the business, heard it from a good place & is worth watching. ... Fans, media, all of us who enjoy the game don't understand the depth of planning that goes on with organizations. This Lillard-McCollum stuff may feel ahead of the curve but this is getting talked about internally. All the untouchable stuff & they're not there yet, they're breaking things down 2-3-4 years in advance.

(Kings veterans traded/bought out?) George Hill is tough to buy out. That one is hard & his play has not helped his value. Not the impact guy they hoped he would be. One positive to his value is you have a guy with a big enough body of work. People know who he can be. Cleveland rumors make sense. I don't know what happens there. Z-Bo, I don't who is coming after him but he makes sense for a contending team that needs something off the bench. Kosta Koufos is a guy with a reasonable contract(PO next year). Wouldn't be surprised to see him get moved.

(Rodney Hood?) My understanding of Utah's situation is they might be as open a shop as there is in the league right now. Favors, Rubio, Hood... They want to turn another page & maximize Rudy Gobert's prime. Utah will look at everything. They feel like they don't have their core. Rodney I think gets moved. Derrick will have decent interest. Rubio, I didn't know what to make of. If they're OK with parting with Ricky, I think he'd have a good market too.

(Lakers?) With Julius, you're talking about a guy not too long ago was seen part of their future. It's feeling like we're past the beginning of the end & closer to the end. He's had some good moments at the five. We talked earlier about the human component. The Lakers situation is as emotionless as there is. They need to clear the books for this summer & get their money right to have 2 max spaces. They have work to do. That's a Rob Pelinka job. I'm curious to see where Jordan goes. Detroit comes to mind again. Minnesota was another thought I had. Maybe they need to add more to the 2nd unit. I think he'll be wearing a different uniform soon.

(Evan Fournier?) With the evolution of the game, Evan fits right in. He can give you serious punch. How much do you believe he'll produce like this for the next 3 years?

(Other less talked about names?) Atlanta & what they do. Kent Bazemore, what might the market be for him? He could bring a decent haul. Mirotic situation in Chicago. Tyreke Evans & the Grizzlies. I feel like he's another guy like Fournier/Bazemore who could help a contender.

(...continued...)

 

(...continued...)

Upcoming free agent class:

(LeBron?) I don't know where he goes. Mood of the moment for obvious reasons, I'd lean towards him leaving. I understand people's idea that the quickest track to staying in the Finals every year is Cleveland because of the East but Boston & Toronto are legit. That narrative is outdated. The days of surrounding him with halfway decent players & get to the Finals I think is gone.

The relationship stuff is a major factor. I mentioned Dan Gilbert earlier. From my understanding, Dan & LeBron mended fences enough to get it to where it had been(won a title, Finals in consecutive years) but it's not like they had a kumbaya moment & became best friends. That never happened. LeBron, again in his passive aggressive ways, is making sure the Cavs know he's not OK with them sitting on their hands, they always need to work to earn his presence. Right now, the combination of how bad they're playing & what we know they're trying to do roster wise, I don't think it's the kind of thing to compel him to stay. If they make noise in the playoffs...the playoffs will come into play in a big way.

I wrote about Houston a lot earlier this year & heard some really, really interesting stuff on that front & am a sucker for that idea. I know people say don't go West, how can you get into the ring with the Warriors, with the Spurs, this new Thunder team if they ever figure it out but the Rockets for one not only just showed us again they can push the Warriors, they have his best friend Chris Paul. I'm not trying to make too much of a friendship but those guys would play wonderfully together. James Harden right now I still think is the MVP. The idea of going at the Warriors from that direction in terms of LeBron's story, it'd be a hell of a chapter to add what has already been an incredible career. Not only did you go at the Warriors & maybe take them down, you did it in their playground so to speak.

I get the sense, as far as the way his story is being told, the idea of him catching Michael Jordan & getting to 6 looks challenging at the moment. That's a lot of work. One legacy & thing he could secure is the idea of every single place he went, they won it all. Going to 3 different franchises & winning a championship, that's different than Kobe, that's different than Michael. Stuff like that crosses his mind.

Whether it's Houston or... San Antonio I'm still skeptical on because of the Pop situation. I guess if he's gonna do one-year contracts & re-assess every summer, I guess it's worth watching. Philly is fun to talk about but I don't see happening. Maybe I'll be wrong. They have a great, young core. If Embiid was more reliable health wise, maybe we'd have more noise on that front. To your original question, I'm leaning towards him leaving at this point. I didn't even mention the Lakers.

(Lakers) I don't (see it happening) either. Lakers thing, ...The King is not gonna put up with every headline being Lonzo's daddy chiming in on the Lakers.

Looking at schools & off court factors, the qualifier there is it's LA. A lot of these guys have houses out there. Also, it was a new house in LA, not a 2nd house. He's planning on selling the first one. The school subplot, someone I trust told me it was a complete misunderstanding. Again, maybe it's not the case. He was shooting a commercial near that school, said I want to take a breather & get some shots in, where's the nearest court around here? He wound up shooting at the school. From there, they're poking around. He was shooting a commercial around the corner. This is what we've come to & what we do. Find the bread crumbs & where their minds are.

As dysfunctional as the Lakers are to a degree, they have gotten themselves back as a brand. They have LakerLand, Magic running the show, there is glitz on the brand again, so they'll be in the conversation. ... If you have a mountain of bread crumbs, there is truth in there somewhere. Some of it means something. It's hard to figure out what is & isn't true. I go to LA relatively often. I go one time & see Maverick Carter saying hello to Daryl. You're connecting dots. I go a few weeks later, you might see Maverick talking to someone from Utah. You dismiss it. Who cares? It doesn't matter. You're picking & choosing what bread crumbs you care to pay attention to.

(Paul George?) I'm torn on this one. I feel like I'm on the fence. Lakers thing is real but has said consistently winning & the long view & on court is the number one factor. I can't answer until I see what OKC does. He has said it's not championship or bust in his head. He likes the group, the organization even though he'll get left off the all-star team this year. If I was in his shoes, I'd feel confident to be an all-star with the Thunder. I'll say wait until the playoffs.

(DeMarcus Cousins?) I think he stays because this is the best it's ever been for him. It's fair to say they've under-performed though better lately. If they keep on this track & make the playoffs, I think he stays. If they miss the playoffs, all bets are off. Getting to the postseason, even getting trounced in the first round by Golden State or Houston, there would have been meaning in his mind getting the monkey off his back plus a special player next to you in Anthony Davis. I think there would be enough boxes checked to not go anywhere, not to mention the massive amount of money he'd lose vs. signing a max deal with the Pelicans. I think he stays.