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You make a strong case here.
Who? Ariza? That'd be just as bad if not a worse contract than Jack.Really? I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it can do.Nothing wrong with a contingent deal. It isn't like the available cap $ can go to another good player. The russian guy is a wild card, but Zeller is likely a good (cheap) role player and then there's the future 1. All to free up cap space that won't go to another good player? That's the furthest thing from a great deal.If the Jack deal gave Cleveland a 10% of getting Lebron it was a great deal.Again, something people around here should have been prepared for. He played the Cavs for 3 years before leaving the first time, quit on the team during the playoffs, then...that. LeBron doing something sleezy because he can would not be new news.My mother is in her 80's. She lives in rural Iowa, does not own a television, and her favorite basketball player is "that Michael Johnson." (She means Jordan.)
She knows Cleveland fans are worked up into a lather over the prospect of Lebron going back home. This is not an exaggeration. She heard it on the radio. She thinks it's "nice."
If she knows this, we can be fairly confident Lebron does too. It would have taken no more than a whisper of an officially sanctioned rumor from a friend of his agent to quash this BS days ago if he intended to stay in Miami, and nobody would have blamed him a bit. But by now, with the media and the public having raged on, staged stakeouts, and turned the entire greater Cleveland area into Lebronfest 2014 - The Return of the King for the last five days...with the Cleveland Cavaliers having gone through all sorts of cap and roster gymnastics in ways that only make sense if we assume they've been prompted by the James camp...I think we can confidently say that it is Lebron's camp's clear intent to give Cleveland hope.
Now, the intent may very well (and justifiably) be to take a massive and public dump all over the head of Dan Gilbert, but it's gone on long and publicly enough that it's going to get all over the public that was ready to love him all over again, too.
I think Lebron either goes home to Cleveland, or has to just turn full-on heel at this point, because I think by now he's earned any hatred coming his way if he screws those poor shmucks over in humiliatingly public fashion again. It's way too late to play the "all I did was stay quiet about it" card, IMO. That's part of the hazard of being the most visible and media-driving force in all of pro sports.
ETA: If he genuinely is torturing over the decision, and is having honest-to-god heart to hearts with friends and family and God about it, then a tweet to that effect from @KingJames would have more than sufficed.
At this point, regardless of what he decides the Cavs front office looks really dumb for doing the Jack deal, not knowing exactly what he would do.
There's plenty of free agents. They can sign anyone they like who's willing to sign with them. They can sign a bunch of placeholders on short-term deals and try again next offseason. Cap space is cap space. It's one of the most sought-after commodities in the sport. It doesn't go to waste if you don't have LeBron James. Ask the fans of the 28 teams who have never had him.Who? Ariza? That'd be just as bad if not a worse contract than Jack.Really? I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it can do.Nothing wrong with a contingent deal. It isn't like the available cap $ can go to another good player. The russian guy is a wild card, but Zeller is likely a good (cheap) role player and then there's the future 1. All to free up cap space that won't go to another good player? That's the furthest thing from a great deal.If the Jack deal gave Cleveland a 10% of getting Lebron it was a great deal.Again, something people around here should have been prepared for. He played the Cavs for 3 years before leaving the first time, quit on the team during the playoffs, then...that. LeBron doing something sleezy because he can would not be new news.My mother is in her 80's. She lives in rural Iowa, does not own a television, and her favorite basketball player is "that Michael Johnson." (She means Jordan.)
She knows Cleveland fans are worked up into a lather over the prospect of Lebron going back home. This is not an exaggeration. She heard it on the radio. She thinks it's "nice."
If she knows this, we can be fairly confident Lebron does too. It would have taken no more than a whisper of an officially sanctioned rumor from a friend of his agent to quash this BS days ago if he intended to stay in Miami, and nobody would have blamed him a bit. But by now, with the media and the public having raged on, staged stakeouts, and turned the entire greater Cleveland area into Lebronfest 2014 - The Return of the King for the last five days...with the Cleveland Cavaliers having gone through all sorts of cap and roster gymnastics in ways that only make sense if we assume they've been prompted by the James camp...I think we can confidently say that it is Lebron's camp's clear intent to give Cleveland hope.
Now, the intent may very well (and justifiably) be to take a massive and public dump all over the head of Dan Gilbert, but it's gone on long and publicly enough that it's going to get all over the public that was ready to love him all over again, too.
I think Lebron either goes home to Cleveland, or has to just turn full-on heel at this point, because I think by now he's earned any hatred coming his way if he screws those poor shmucks over in humiliatingly public fashion again. It's way too late to play the "all I did was stay quiet about it" card, IMO. That's part of the hazard of being the most visible and media-driving force in all of pro sports.
ETA: If he genuinely is torturing over the decision, and is having honest-to-god heart to hearts with friends and family and God about it, then a tweet to that effect from @KingJames would have more than sufficed.
At this point, regardless of what he decides the Cavs front office looks really dumb for doing the Jack deal, not knowing exactly what he would do.
If you can't find a suitor now then wait until the trade deadline and look to unload his contract then without giving up three #1's.
Or Gilbert would take a proactive approach. Maybe send kyrie to meet him. Maybe try to get the new rookie euro coach to talk to him? They all knew where he was this week.
Why would he?
All this is part of what makes this whole saga so oddly compelling. I can only make sense of what everyone involved is up to if both the Cavs and the Heat have received personal assurance from James that he intends to play for them. It seems hard to reconcile the actions of Cavs' management with those of Bosh, Wade, et al, unless this is the case.
They have cap space with Jack, they just don't have enough to get a max contract. Sign free agents with what is left, see if you can get someone to take on Jack later without giving up as many assets, usually can.There's plenty of free agents. They can sign anyone they like who's willing to sign with them. They can sign a bunch of placeholders on short-term deals and try again next offseason. Cap space is cap space. It's one of the most sought-after commodities in the sport. It doesn't go to waste if you don't have LeBron James. Ask the fans of the 28 teams who have never had him.Who? Ariza? That'd be just as bad if not a worse contract than Jack.Really? I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it can do.Nothing wrong with a contingent deal. It isn't like the available cap $ can go to another good player. The russian guy is a wild card, but Zeller is likely a good (cheap) role player and then there's the future 1. All to free up cap space that won't go to another good player? That's the furthest thing from a great deal.If the Jack deal gave Cleveland a 10% of getting Lebron it was a great deal.Again, something people around here should have been prepared for. He played the Cavs for 3 years before leaving the first time, quit on the team during the playoffs, then...that. LeBron doing something sleezy because he can would not be new news.My mother is in her 80's. She lives in rural Iowa, does not own a television, and her favorite basketball player is "that Michael Johnson." (She means Jordan.)
She knows Cleveland fans are worked up into a lather over the prospect of Lebron going back home. This is not an exaggeration. She heard it on the radio. She thinks it's "nice."
If she knows this, we can be fairly confident Lebron does too. It would have taken no more than a whisper of an officially sanctioned rumor from a friend of his agent to quash this BS days ago if he intended to stay in Miami, and nobody would have blamed him a bit. But by now, with the media and the public having raged on, staged stakeouts, and turned the entire greater Cleveland area into Lebronfest 2014 - The Return of the King for the last five days...with the Cleveland Cavaliers having gone through all sorts of cap and roster gymnastics in ways that only make sense if we assume they've been prompted by the James camp...I think we can confidently say that it is Lebron's camp's clear intent to give Cleveland hope.
Now, the intent may very well (and justifiably) be to take a massive and public dump all over the head of Dan Gilbert, but it's gone on long and publicly enough that it's going to get all over the public that was ready to love him all over again, too.
I think Lebron either goes home to Cleveland, or has to just turn full-on heel at this point, because I think by now he's earned any hatred coming his way if he screws those poor shmucks over in humiliatingly public fashion again. It's way too late to play the "all I did was stay quiet about it" card, IMO. That's part of the hazard of being the most visible and media-driving force in all of pro sports.
ETA: If he genuinely is torturing over the decision, and is having honest-to-god heart to hearts with friends and family and God about it, then a tweet to that effect from @KingJames would have more than sufficed.
At this point, regardless of what he decides the Cavs front office looks really dumb for doing the Jack deal, not knowing exactly what he would do.
If you can't find a suitor now then wait until the trade deadline and look to unload his contract then without giving up three #1's.
Just because you think they can unload Jack later without giving up anything doesn't mean they can. And it's Tyler Zeller and a protected pick, no reason to get overly dramatic about it. I'm a UNC fan, I've watched Zeller as much as you. He's basically replacement level. They can get all the Zellers they want with that cap space if that's what they really covet.
I find it hard to believe teams not named the Heat have sat back and not tried to get direct lines to Lebron.
LOL right!!! Exactly.
Yeah, maybe. But basically all the deal cost them is the value of the throw-in now vs. February to get someone to eat the Jack deal, minus having to pay Jack in the interim. Not really a tragedy.
There are more players waiting than just the obvious players like Bosh, Deng, Gasol, and Lance. It filters down to even the minimum salary guys.
At least your second Hamlet reference already.
I disagree. Look at how many games he sat out this year, just to be able to make it through the playoffs. He's not the kind of guy who can let Lebron rest his legs anymore.
Great players don't need to be coddled during the regular season by sitting out double digit numbers of games, avoiding back-to-backs only to flame out in the Finals by breaking down physically. Wade's declining skillset, injury history and stamina issues will only get worse down the road. He's nowhere close to elite and may end up being a 6th man a year from now.
I've never understood the love for Bosh. I've never once been impressed by him. He averages 16 and 7. Does he play solid defense? I guess. But I'd have to think there are plenty of guys in the NBA who can put up 16-7 and play good defense.
Huge stats aren't Bosh's role on this title-contending team, and he knows it, and plays the appropriate role properly. He could sleepwalk to 20/10 as an alpha, and proved it with half a decade of All-Star level play before he decided to pursue some hardware.I've never understood the love for Bosh. I've never once been impressed by him. He averages 16 and 7. Does he play solid defense? I guess. But I'd have to think there are plenty of guys in the NBA who can put up 16-7 and play good defense.
Seriously, what is it about Bosh's game that puts him anywhere near the level of Wade and James? The fact that people say he's in the "big 3"? I see a guy who put up a lot of garbage stats on a bunch of bad Toronto teams.
This is why I feel James is making a monumental mistake if he goes back. James is only 29, but has a ton of mileage on his body. I tend to think James has that rare body type that can take the abuse, but he still needs to be cutting back his minutes. He can't cut back minutes in Miami with Wade playing 50-60 games.
I think he knows. I haven't made million dollar decisions, but, amounts are relative. I've moved 6 times for my job and the decision, although tough each time, we made in a matter of days. We had to.
You ever think that maybe he is actually weighing all his options?
Do you just hastily make multi-million dollar decisions that affect your life for the next 5 years?
Amazing to think that he can't actually think about what is best for him. If he makes a bad call, he could end up losing millions of dollars (i.e. Wiggins ends up a bust or Wade blows out a knee, etc.). It amazes me and disturbs me that people are already pissed about a decision that hasn't even been made. A week or so ago everyone thought he was staying in Miami, now he will be roundly criticized if he doesn't go to Cleveland. Seems like the fans in Cleveland and the folks that hate him already have been reading all the articles and tweets and made up their minds without a single word from the guy actually making the decision. Again, some of the reactions disturb me.
Nobody labels basketball players by throwing up their point and rebound/assist totals any more. If they did we'd still think Brandon Jennings was good. We know better now.I've never understood the love for Bosh. I've never once been impressed by him. He averages 16 and 7. Does he play solid defense? I guess. But I'd have to think there are plenty of guys in the NBA who can put up 16-7 and play good defense.
Scorching!
