Would you trade EGo, CC, Rybo for two first round picks, Lebron?

Yes. He is very good. And Utah is going to be in the championship picture for the next few years. They're loaded. And Rubio's game is shining.

 

Ok guys. Time to update.

Let's take a look at LeBron's contract situation.

First of all, the Cavs do have Birds rights and they can give him a 5-year max deal that still carry him all the way to age 38.

So, 5-years $205 million and change, nice and easy.

(And they'd do that for LeBron. But keep in mind...they're going to cut salary because they are currently eligible for the repeater luxury tax. Ask that are looking to move salary out and get cheaper talent in. They want to either be out of the tax entirely this upcoming season Or they want to barely be in it to minimize the pain. Either way their cutting salary if at all possible.)

If LeBron walks to another team or if he is signed and traded he can only sign a 4-year deal with 5% raises. That would be 4 years $152 million and change.

And here's the kicker. He's age 37. He can really only sign a one year deal at the max since he'll be 38. For him to cine close to his original 5-year max he vivid have now he has to find a team to give him the max at age 37 and the cap has to rise to $151 million.

The third option is to opt in and either be traded or run it out in Cleveland. In either case.....he'll still be eligible for a four year max deal with Birds rights 8% raises. This will carry him to age 38. If the cap runs up to the projected $108 million next summer, that would be a 5-yr total of $204.95 million. And he doesn't have to worry about finding a team to give him a one-year max at age 37.

A fourth option is LeBron could opt out, sign one year deals (1+1) and keep signing a new deal every dinner for the next few years. If he duress rest in he had birds rights. If he does it elsewhere and steroids to make up for losing his Birds rights, even if the cap rises substantially to 120 million in 2020-21, he either kisses or barely breaks even with a 5-year deal or a one-year deal with Birds rights and then signing a 4-year deal after that.

So, think about this.....

Do you really think LeBron wants to sign s 4-year non-birds rights deal that leaves him without a contract in his last season before the age 38 rule kicks in?

If you answered yes....you'd better think again.

LeBron is most likely going to opt in. Because it makes too much sense. EVEN IF HE WANTS LA he is most likely going to opt in and be traded there. EVEN THOUGH THAT TRADE WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR AFTER THE MORATORIUM.

But decision time is this week. LeBron's destination will be known and negotiated before the moratorium. It may not be executed until after the moratorium. But it will be negotiated before the moratorium and most likely it will be with Lebron opting in and being traded.

On a side note
I'm changing the odds of LeBron to Houston back to 90%. LA 6%, CLE/PHI 4%. Cp3 is staying in Houston.

 

If he opts in to come to Houston it will most likely occur before the break. However we could entice the Cavs to do the trade after the moratorium by throwing in cash and a second rounder. And if LeBron is coming here wet may be able to peddle Anderson and the two picks into the Lakers cap space. Ha!

But he could opt in and then be traded to LA after the moratorium for a small returning asset and a huge TPE that gives the Cavs trade flexibility gong through a rebuild. And the Cavs would probably agree to do that instead of him walking for nothing. Small asset, 35 million TPE a lot better than just reclaiming their cap space.


Which is why I believed from the beginning that the Cavs want their cap space more then they want Anderson and two draft picks. We need a third team to move Anderson to, into cap space. The question is what's the cost of doing business?

 

As you can see, we're getting down to what Brent Barry would refer to as "nut cutting" time. We're two days out from LeBron making a decision in his option.

And now the big guns are coming out the woodwork. Woj, Ramona, Shams, Amick, and Stern are the people that leak the real stuff. And they're leaking today that they Lakers are scrambling to get a deal done for Kawhi.

This is the real deal here. Don't have roti second guess it. Why? Because the Lakers have to put together a roster capable of competing for a title to get Lebron to come. Just George and the Kurds won't do it.

So now they're scrambling desperately to get a deal done for KL. Looking to take on a salary for a great future lottery pick that they can throw at Pops along with Ingram and Deng to get KL. Because if they can do that they think they can then peddle whatever salary they took on back out with a couple picks and pick up the cap space to sign both Lebron and George. Which would leave them with Lebron, George, Leonard, Lonzo, and Kuzma...with the room MLE to get another piece.

Now that's a nice 5, have to admit. But is it better than the Warriors? Is it better than what we're going to do if all this magically goes down for the Lakers? And is it better for Pops than simply taking Morris, Jaylen, Rozier, Yabusele, and a piddling pick?

Folks this is all very real. Do you see the Lakers problem? This is desperation. Will they get it done? HIGHLY DOUBTFUL. And that's why I have them with about a 2% chance of getting Lebron.

 

Dude

He's not playing another 6+ years just to take Kareem. Kareem is an afterthought, a byproduct of his chase. LeBron is playing for rings, rings, rings, rings.