Since you're into your barber/Dwight story, who is the barber here for your info? Entertainment industry: it's some kind of Beverly Hills LeBron reality TV show setup or something? What's the big lock on LA?
I mean, if he would've opt out could've make sense here for the minimum and to fill the roster, but at 3.5M? No thanks.
I wonder how much info cyberx would have right now given his LA connections. Seems to me LeBron to LA would pick up steam more during actual FA and LA can pitch him on PG + hypothetical third star they’ll trade some of their young core for. This is a weird offseason for us cause the timing is really off. If LeBron wants Houston he will want to make a decision before he can be wined and dined by other teams.
I’m betting he informs the Cavs he “intends” to opt-out. Doesn’t mean he will. CP3 did the same, and then opted in at the deadline to orchestrate the trade.
Woj: http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=23772294 How much money did Chris Paul cost himself by leaving LA for Houston? Has he cost himself? He wants to win. He did the deal in Houston with an understanding he'd get the full scholarship here going forward. That'll be the case here. The only way I think he looks around is if Houston blinks & I have no indication at all Houston will blink. They knew when they traded for Chris Paul they did it for the long haul & in years 4/5 when he's making $47M/$48M and he's 36/37 years old, that may not be a good contract but they're trying to win a title in the short term and this past season gave them every reason to believe they can do it with the group they have if they can keep them healthy & on the floor, which is always a question. You said they've seen enough to know they can do it with the team they have. Is their interest in LeBron overblown? No. In Houston, both are true. It's we have a group that was up 3-2 that we'd be happy to run back but Daryl Morey will be big game hunting. It's a pretty complex path to create the salary cap space to go after LeBron or Paul George. That's hard to do. The more likely scenario they would try is a sign & trade. That makes it hard. They don't have assets teams are dying for. They gave up their younger players & a pick in the Chris Paul sign and trade last year. That Ryan Anderson deal, 2 years $40M, you're gonna have to trade multiple first round picks to get that money off. They need first LeBron or Paul George to say I want to come, then they can start to figure it out. If that doesn't happen,..and those players too have to look at the roster and go "What's that roster look like when they gut it? Do we have enough for just a Big 3 & minimum players?" They may say it's not enough or they might think it's enough. Daryl & Gerrson Rosas will be creative. They were on the cutting edge last year with the Chris Paul trade. No one saw that coming. They're the one group you give a puncher's chance of figuring out a way here but we're still a long way from that being in motion. Lakers as Vegas favorites, is that what you're hearing? They're the clearest, simplest path. They have the space to sign him & ability to create a 2nd max slot. Whether that's Paul George now or a big free agent next year...the Lakers, because it's LA and because there's a pathway, ..this is a hard market for LeBron to navigate. When he went to Miami, they started something & put that team together & coming back, it was clear why he came back. If he's going to leave again, it's not obvious this time. Because Golden State has separated itself so far from the rest of the league, there's no place you say if he goes here, they'll win championships. Philly, yeah, they could grow together. Them & Boston in the East. We talked about Houston. LA would still need more. Can he get Paul George? I can understand why Vegas would make LA the favorite. Here's what I think makes LA interesting: having Kobe there. It's obvious Kobe wants to be in that conversation with Michael & LeBron & he hasn't been. He's started talking himself back in that. "My 5 titles puts me in that conversation." I think LA could be a trap for LeBron in this way: because Kobe will be there & critiquing how that's going, if he's not winning championships in LA, you got Kobe who will continue to put himself in that conversation & say the only standard with the Lakers is winning titles, not just getting to the Conference Finals. LeBron going to LA could help Kobe pull him back into that Michael/LeBron conversation he's been left out of. Not winning championships in LA is different than not winning them anywhere else. If he were to go to LA, no question that people will say Kobe/Shaq/others delivered chips. You have to do so as well. Plus or minus in regards to his decision? We can talk about this & try to put context to it. LeBron making the decision may be basic: where do I want to live, where do I want to put my kids in school, do I want to start setting myself up post-career? In the end, people will find a reason, wherever you go or stay, there will be criticism. He's dealt with it since he was a teenager and probably get to a point you say I'll do what makes me happy, what I think basketball wise can fulfill me and what makes my family comfortable & forget the rest. Everyone will have an opinion & there will be criticism wherever he goes. I do think this: LeBron has created a new norm in terms of moving around. This is a different age. No one will remember he bounced around if he catches Michael. All anyone wants to see is the countdown, 4 titles, 5 titles, and get towards that 6th. Wherever he does that, it doesn't matter where, no one will begrudge him for bouncing around. It was he caught Michael or he was on Michael's tail. For him, pick the place you think you can win because that's all anyone will judge you on in the end. People will hold titles over him. 3 at his age, he's only halfway there. With his prime years stuck behind this Golden State dynasty, I don't think he can get there. Boston & LeBron? For Boston to do that, let's say LeBron said I wanted to come, would Danny be willing to ship out Kyrie &/or Gordon Hayward after a year? Not saying he wouldn't but they'd have to tear their roster apart unless they did a sign & trade. Any great organization will be in the conversation with him. He has to kick the tires on the great organizations. Of course you'd look at Boston. You'd have to do a lot to the roster but if LeBron knocks, not sure anyone says no but it would be a dramatic thing. Philly? Easy pathway, them & the Lakers. They can sign him into their space. You have to look at...he's the best player in the game at 33. Will it be like Tom Brady? If he wants to win more titles, he might say let me go somewhere with great young players where I can be the 2nd or 3rd best player at the end of a 4 year deal. He'll probably still be better than both Simmons & Embiid by then but it does fit. He can do it. They'll be a consideration. Warriors? They'd have to gut their roster. Klay & Draymond can make more next summer. Doesn't make sense for them to do it this summer. Klay wants to be there & think he's willing to take a little less than the max to keep it going. Draymond, his head might be in a different place doing it. It'll be difficult for Golden State to pay Draymond $30M+. You can't pay everyone. They'll get to it when they get to it. Golden State really believes as long as they have Durant & Curry, they can get any 3rd player they want. Golden State knows it'll be the most attractive place to go play & feel they'd never be left out of the free agent conversation. They want to keep this going. Ownership has been willing to spend to keep it intact. They have a big bill coming. They've changed the financial dynamics in what they're spending & what they're forcing others to spend. Paul George's status? OKC has done a great job selling George on them. When he left Indiana, his mind was on LA. OKC has done a great job selling him on a future there but I don't think it's LA & OKC. Philadelphia & Houston will be aggressive with him. Why not look at every situation? While they may be the 2 front-runners, I think George will have an open mind about more than that in the league. With a player of LeBron or Paul's caliber, if you tell a team you'd like to come, they can get creative. Knicks apart of any of these conversations? Their goal is 2019-20, Porzingis is back healthy & they can find someone. Not this summer but their hope is next summer. Durant staying in Golden State? He's said that & never showed any indication otherwise. That'll continue. He's never said anything different privately than he has publicly. Kawhi? There are still conversations that need to happen about how they want to proceed forward. Spurs want to keep him, welcome him back into the group & that's what they're trying to do.
Probably not. Since he's having a meeting with Cleveland this early, that tells me he is going to inform them he will not be back. He probably doesn't officially opt in or out until deadline day, or earlier if a trade is agreed to. If he opts out tomorrow then the Rockets will not be getting Lebron.
That would be the most wonderful endgame imaginable. The crap er talent Presti takes back to allow Russ to egress Soonerland; Russie having to defer to anyone, even LBJ? C'mon, next we'll be hearing Pops gonna leave to coach Cavs.
figure it is just a stay or go answer. If go, he would want to leave his options open on how to leave. I would think.
