OT: LeBron to Cleveland?
Lots of rumblings from NBA insiders that LeBron could be headed back to Cleveland. This seems to be confirmed by Cleveland's salary-cap clearing "trade" today. They ditched Jarrett Jack and his $6.3MM salary, along with Tyler Zeller and Tyler Zeller and Sergey Karasev, for nothing but cap space.
In my opinion, I think this is a great move from both a team and money perspective.
From a team perspective, Cleveland stands in stark contrast to Miami. Rather than being full of bloated salaries and past-their-prime stars, they're loaded with young talent and have the potential to be very good in the coming years. Add LeBron to the mix with Kyrie Irving (somewhat overrated but still solid), a Wiggins (who would benefit by easing into a high-level role), and Tristan Thompson, and you've got a squad that can easily contend for a title in the East.
From a money perspective, LeBron is going to make the max no matter where he goes, so salary isn't the deciding factor. Endorsements are. Now that he's the biggest star in the NBA, it doesn't matter if he's based out of Cleveland or New York/LA/Chi. The name LeBron Jame name recognition is global and his endorsement deals won't decrease just because he plays in a secondary market. If anything, being on a team with young talent may help increase his longevity as a title contender and thus his relevance in the league, keeping his endorsement money flowing at a high level through and beyond his prime years.
But from what I've heard he never transferred his residency out of Ohio.
Thats not how it works. It is where you earned the money, not where you live, although if you have residency in a state different from where you earned your money, you will have to file in that state, as well. Roughly half his NBA salary will be paid to the states in which he plays and the other half will be to his home team state. If he films TV commercials in LA, his endorsement money is taxed in CA
I think the relaitionship between Gilbert and LeBron is better than some believe, also Gilbert made it possible for Lebron to attend Big Z's jersey retirement number. Also just hear that the Cavs are now in talks with Ray Allen. However, nobody thought he would leave in 2010, so he could surprise everyone here. But everything is seeming like Cleveland is more and more likely.
Twice.
They must have REALLY wanted to get rid of him.
"They ditched Jarrett Jack and his $6.3MM salary, along with Tyler Zeller and Tyler Zeller"
Bold move! That clears double the cap space, right?
I think that means the Cavs could reacquire Zeller without the subsequent hit to their cap. The Tyler Zeller exemption.
If this happens, I think this makes Cleveland the best team in the league immediately. I might be in the minority on this, but I think LeBron, Kyrie and Wiggins are better than LeBron, Wade and Bosh. Especially moving forward.
Just think if they wouldn't have botched the #1 pick last year so bad? It might mean they didn't get Wiggins this year, but if somehow Anthony Bennett comes to form, holy smokes.
Kyrie, Waiters, Wiggins, Thompson and Varejeo are definitely a better, younger and more stable long-term option than Bosh, a broken down Wade and whatever scraps Miami can put together after that.
I think the chances are still 50-50 he comes back home but I'm more optomistic about the Cavs now than I've been since four years ago yesterday - that's for damn sure.
They're both small forwards, aren't they? Can you play a Beilein set in the NBA...a PG, three wings, and a post? BTW I think Waiters sucks, can't they get rid of him somehow?
Kyrie and play 1-2. Lebron can play 1-4. When you have a chance to pick up Lebron you pick up Lebron and let the pieces fall as they most.
I still think the Heat would have been better without the shell of Wade, teaming Lebron with Bosh (who I think is underrated by a lot of people), and then focus on getting some other, actual, real talent and depth around those two instead of a shell of Wade, Allen shooting, and a whole lot of nothing else.
Wait and see on Waiters as well, in general I agree that the Cavs are a better team overall but he was just referencing Bosh, and Wade (even in his old age) being inferior to an oft injured/ talented PG and an totally unproven swingman who disappeared in the NCAA tournament.
...but "young" and "stable" don't come to mind as adjectives for him. High-energy bigs are a self-endangered species and Varejao's no exception. At this point I fear he's as broken down as Wade.
Don't really agree with this at all. To start, Chris Bosh is better than anybody Cleveland has on their roster right now. Sure, that might change in the future, but as of now, Bosh would be the Cavs' best player. People love to rip on Bosh, but there's a reason Houston wants him so badly too.
After that, I think you can make a case for Irving, but even then, I'm not really convinced it's in a landslide. Over the course of a season, Irving is definitely better because Wade is so limited, but on an efficiency level, you can actually argue Wade is still better. Wade's PER and win shares per 48 are both higher. People like to think that Irving is an elite level NBA player, but the truth is that he just isn't on that level. He's a 3rd option type of guy on a good team. Wade may have slipped, but he still got 30+ minutes in the Playoffs and that's all the really matters on a team with LeBron.
Even if you assume that the remaining rosters favor Cleveland (a solid argument), that also assumes that Miami will return what they had last year, which does not seem very likely. Danny Granger alone changes things. Plus, Cleveland still would have to compensate with the rest of their lineup for not having a Bosh-level player on their team. Maybe Wiggins or somebody explodes, but just assuming it's going to happen is a big leap. Just ask Bennett.
My point here isn't to say Miami's surrounding cast is loads better, but simply to point out that people are WAY overvaluing Cleveland's guys because they're young. If LeBron is looking to win now (he is), you have to look at the teams right now. Not in 3 or 5 years, but right now. If Miami brings back the Big 3 and gets Bosh and Wade to take cuts so they can sign other guys, to me, that's the better team right now.
Kyrie is capable of providing more value at this point in his career than Wade given Wade's injury history in the last couple years. Wiggins is more of an unknown, but LeBron was reportedly getting frustrated with Bosh's tendency to get comfortable waiting around at the 3-pt line for a LeBron kick-out.
If this happens they won't even be the best team in the East. I would take Indiana, Washington, Atlanta or Chicago (provided they sign Melo.) I hope Lebron goes back to Cle so he can patch things up in Oiho. If Lebron can miracle a title to Cle, he will be governor of Oiho down the road.
They already have Manziel (and with the RNC announcement yesterday) they stand a good chance of landing Sarah Palin as well.
It would be a Trifecta for the ages!
Didn't G. Rice already land Sarah Palin?
...right on her face!
maybe glen rice can have sex with her again
It seems like the numbers work out for Cleveland, if indeed the intent is to bring LeBron James back to the Cavaliers. Per ESPN's story here - LINK:
According to ESPN's Tom Penn, the trade of Jack sheds $9.5 million in salary (Jack, $6.3 million; Zeller, $1.7 million; Karasev, $1.5 million), giving the Cavaliers $21.7 million in cap space.
I could be wrong, but I think the cap hold on James is something in the neighborhood of $20 million, so they may very well have cleared sufficient space just by making that move with the Nets.
Please, please, please, please, please, please, please let this happen.
It would cost him 1.25 million a year in taxes to go to Cleveland. Then you have the whole living in Ohio thing the cost of which is your soul.
Cleveland will still be a shit hole nothing will change that
"Tiger Woods is loved and LeBron is hated" isn't too sound of a premise. Lots of people love LeBron and lots of people don't like Tiger. And lots of people don't like either.
if he leaves, all 3 will not be comming back to miami. and there team will be shit.
I wish ESPN didn't exist
its sad all theses moves and the pistions are doing shit. hope the rumours are true that tom gores is going to move the pistions to tampa in 2 years when they get a bball place to play in tampa. f you pistions
I don't think Lebron cares about taxes.
He cares about 3 things:
1) Respect, which is why he wants a max deal
2) The fact that everyone hates him, which he thinks coming back to Cleveland might fix
3) The fact that no one seems to count his titles equal to those of everyone elses because he "engineered" them in Miami, which coming back to Cleveland and WINNING might fix.
The whole thing seems crazy, but given what seems important to LeBron, this might actually happen. I don't see any other place where he could really get what he wants.
He may want to "undo" the decision. And honestly, who could blame him after what it did to his image? He got his titles out of it, but was it really worth it?
4) His wife wants him the hell out of South Beach
IMO whether or not Lebron goes back to Miami depends a lot on what Chris Bosh decides to do. Reports are that he has a max offer to join the Rockets and if he takes it Miami is left with a huge hole in their roster. It's easy to see Lebron thnking Cleveland is a better option in that scenario.
looking like all 3 are gone.
Lebron is not waiting on Bosh, Bosh is waiting on Lebron.
As other's have stated, Lebron's financial situation isn't going to change much regardless of where he plays. On the other hand, there's a pretty significant chance that Bosh will have to take a pay cut if he stays in Miami. He'll make more money in Houston and play on a team that arguably has just as good of a chance to win the title as Miami. Bosh doesn't really need to stay with the Heat to have a success in the future. It's not hard to see how going to the Rockets could be considered the better career move.
Plus Cleveland has the potential of 3 first round picks next year. The Cavs will get the Heat pick if it is outside the top ten picks. Not as likely, the Cavs would get the Grizzlies pick provided it is between 6-14.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, you mean that I might not be able to break out my "Even LeBron Hates Ohio" t-shirt anymore? That makes me sad.
Of course, having LeBron reject Cleveland again and being able to print up, "LeBron Still Hates Ohio" would be delightful.
I really do not think LeBron is going to Cleveland. The Cavs have to make moves like this to put themselves in position, but I don't see him pulling the trigger and going back there. Ultimately, while getting LeBron back makes the Cavs better in the immediate, another bad season and another #1 pick would give them a pretty talented roster going forth.
wade to chi