shadyridr
Footballguy
Ray Allen?
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There is ZERO chance Lebron James returns to Cleveland (1 Viewer)
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Judge Smails
Footballguy
Got me re-thinking my stance on this..
Sammy3469
Footballguy
I do not believe you can use the $5million dollar exception when you start the FA period already under the cap. This scenario has been shot down by guys following the Knicks repeatedly. Having said that the Bulls can certainly do a sign a trade with Deng involved for someone like Joe Johnson if they want a shooter.
tribecalledjeff
Footballguy
How many games do you think the Cavs would have won this year without Lebron?
B-Deep
Footballguy
why would the cavs do this?here lebron, you can leave, and get the extra 30 mil AND we'll help your new team with cap spacescrew thati'd tell him, go to chicago, get 30 mil less, and no they will not sign a max contract player. Or stay here with and make 30 mil more.
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
What if LeBron decides he's headed to Chicago? Would the Cavs prefer to get Deng back for him, or watch James leave for nothing and hope they can use the cap space to lure free agents to a 15-67 team in Cleveland? If they want something back rather than watching James leave for nothing, they have to agree to a sign and trade, and they have to take enough salary back to make it work under the NBA rules.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
The only question is whether he salts the earth on the way out or not.
saintfool
Dead sexy
i'll say this again: the coach matters. if the bulls hire some other schlub then i don't think anything major happens. lebron and wade want to win. the money only matters so much.
TLEF316
Footballguy
i dont think Cleveland would EVER do a sign and trade for Lebron.
The fan base will never forgive them for "letting" Lebron go.
Management coming out with "See!! We got Luol Deng back!!" would only make things worse.
IMO, they're better off letting him go for nothing. The franchise is dead if he's gone anyway. They're not gonna help him get an additional 30 mil and give his new team the room to sign a 2nd max player as well.
The fan base will never forgive them for "letting" Lebron go.
Management coming out with "See!! We got Luol Deng back!!" would only make things worse.
IMO, they're better off letting him go for nothing. The franchise is dead if he's gone anyway. They're not gonna help him get an additional 30 mil and give his new team the room to sign a 2nd max player as well.
B-Deep
Footballguy
what good will Deng do them? losing lebron is a disasterhey season ticket holders, look, DENG!they need to put all their cards behind keeping lebron, and if it fails they are screwed, deng won't fix that. Their biggest lever is an extra 30 mil, if they surrender that he is gone.
B-Deep
Footballguy
that's where i amit looks worse to trade, it looks like they are letting him go and giving him 30mil
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Even if Cleveland would agree to a sign-and-trade, they won't want to take on Deng's contract. I think that has a 0% chance of happening.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
He'd also have a chance to build his own legacy instead of competing with Jordan's (I don't think there's any way he goes to Chicago) in the biggest market in the world. Plus they have a coaching opening, and money will be no object for the owner. Of all the things that have gone down in Cleveland, the owner griping about $100 million and no results is one that will stick in LeBron's craw. This Ruski sounds like the next best thing to Dr. Buss - guys like playing for owners like that.
rodg12
Footballguy
WadeBoshAmareJoe JohnsonBoozer
Juxtatarot
Footballguy
Wade, Bosh, Boozer, David Lee, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, maybe Amare, maybe Dirk Nowitzki.
shader
Footballguy
You are out of your mind. They had the best record the last two seasons because of Lebron. No other reason. You take Lebron away from that cast of misfits and they instantly win 20-25 games. He makes that much of a difference.You are correct that their coach sucks, and Lebron definetely didn't seem himself the last two games. Elbow? Or is he on his way out?And I never said the city of Cleveland was at fault. I said the organization is at fault. They had this guy for 7 years and never once made a serious attempt to surround him with elite talent OR a good coach.
saintfool
Dead sexy
Statorama
Footballguy
It'd be kind of cool if LeBron signed a one year deal and then signed with a new team to a one year deal the next. Especially if it was a young team on the rise that he could vault to a title.
Just keep signing one year deals around the league, and let each year have that "who will LeBron sign with?" mystery.
His big money comes off the court anyway.
Just keep signing one year deals around the league, and let each year have that "who will LeBron sign with?" mystery.
His big money comes off the court anyway.
timschochet
Footballguy
I made this exact same comment last night and was told I should stop talking about hoops because I knew nothing about it.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
I think the point is that having the best regular season record doesn't mean much.
shader
Footballguy
Because it's not true.In regular season basketball, half the teams are up and down from night to night. Lebron has become Jordan-like in his ferocious play day in and day out. He is so good that the lesser teams don't have a chance at beating the Cavs with James. He just destroys bad teams and bad matchups. The other players benefit from his passing and the attention he gets from the other teams. Parker can hit threes. Can he create his own shot? No. Mo Williams is streaky, but is he a great passer? No. He's an average PG. Shaq and Big Z are both old, slow and basically worthless. Watching Shaq in the playoffs was painful. A complete shell of his former self.Varejao is a lunchpail guy, but provides nothing in the way of an offensive spark.The point is, if you take Lebron off that team..Honestly, how many games do you think they win? If you say anything over 30, I say you are DREAMING. Without Lebron, I honestly don't see how they score over 80 points a night.
I thought it was because you suggested the Jordan Bulls had no competition whatsoever.
shadyridr
Footballguy
Do you take LeBron off the team and replace him with another big money contract though?
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Via trade? Who signs in Cleveland w/o LeBron there?
timschochet
Footballguy
It's true that, in the final assessment, regular season doesn't matter. Playoffs are the only measuring stick in the NBA. But that doesn't mean that an assessment made now should be diametrically opposed to assessments made during the regular season, or even during the playoffs previously. The fact is this: up until Tuesday night, the majority of NBA players, coaches, and writers asserted that the Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the NBA. They were considered a much better team, for example, than the Cavalier team that went to the Finals against the Spurs a few years back. That team, even when it was winning, was considered a one-man squad. This current team was not, and it's only now that they've lost twice in a row in the playoffs that suddenly they also are a one man team. It's revisionism, and I reject it.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a better team than the Boston Celtics. They are a better team than the Orlando Magic. They are quite possibly a better team than the Lakers. They lost because LeBron played poorly in the 4th quarter of game 4, in all of game 5, and in game 6, and because Mo Williams did not play well in games 4 and 5. They also lost because their coach made awful decisions regarding substitutions. I think that LeBron played poorly due to injury, though we may never know the truth.
If LeBron returns to Cleveland, the Cavaliers will still be one of the 2-3 best teams in basketball, and with the addition of a quality shooter (Joe Johnson? Ray Allen, even?) that might be enough to get him over the top. Because it takes a while, usually, for team chemistry to gel, I am not convinced that if he chooses to leave he will be any closer to a championship anytime soon than he is right now. Therefore, it seems to me that the possibility of him sticking around is still pretty good at this point.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a better team than the Boston Celtics. They are a better team than the Orlando Magic. They are quite possibly a better team than the Lakers. They lost because LeBron played poorly in the 4th quarter of game 4, in all of game 5, and in game 6, and because Mo Williams did not play well in games 4 and 5. They also lost because their coach made awful decisions regarding substitutions. I think that LeBron played poorly due to injury, though we may never know the truth.
If LeBron returns to Cleveland, the Cavaliers will still be one of the 2-3 best teams in basketball, and with the addition of a quality shooter (Joe Johnson? Ray Allen, even?) that might be enough to get him over the top. Because it takes a while, usually, for team chemistry to gel, I am not convinced that if he chooses to leave he will be any closer to a championship anytime soon than he is right now. Therefore, it seems to me that the possibility of him sticking around is still pretty good at this point.
shadyridr
Footballguy
No Im asking how much better does LeBron make the Cavs than say someone like Kobe or Wade or Bosh? Cuz you cant just say "imagine the Cavs without LeBron" since most NBA teams have at least one good star (even the Nets had Harris & Lopez).
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Dude, you're just ####### wrong. Plenty of people were questioning who the best team was before this series ended. Orlando looks fantastic and has throughout the 2nd half of the season. Besides that there were several people who could see the flaws the Cavs had even during the regular season (go check the NBA season thread for starters) - turns out they (we) were right.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
It just seems like a weird hypothetical - those guys would never be there unless they were drafted by Cle. But to play along the Cavs probably end up in roughly the same place, maybe with 5-10 less wins in the regular season and getting bounced in the 2nd round.
GeauxTigers
Footballguy
My main point is that LeBron is the typical "today's spoiled athlete" that gets spoon fed his "legacy" before he makes anything of himself. He only cares about himself. Just look at his performances in the playoffs. He is not a leader. When things don't go his way, he pouts and doesn't try. You think Jordon did this? Bird? Magic? Hell no. Those guys were leaders. They would get in the face of their teammates and call them out. James just mopes around, like he did in game 5, and not care because "nobody on my team can guard Rondo".LeBron cares about his image first and basketball second. When he can go play for his boyz in Jersey. Is James talented? Heck yeah. He has gotten through his life so far on pure talent, but to win an NBA championship, it takes more than talent, which LeBron does not have right now.His supporting cast was more than good enough to win him a championship this season. Was it the best supporting cast in league history? No. But to win the most regular season games in 2 straight years, it is ridiculous to say he didn't have a solid supporting cast.
TobiasFunke
Footballguy
Do you guys think this will change things?
Wizards fans like myself had to endure years of Cleveland fans ruining every single discussion of Wizards basketball anywhere on the internet with taunts about playoff series and Gilbert's missed free throws and general boasting as if winning the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery was the equivalent of winning the Finals. I mean, these people would go into the comments section of Washington Post discussions of Wiz draft options and talk trash. So last night was so, so, so very sweet for me. But it was enough. I feel bad for them now. I hope he stays.
Wizards fans like myself had to endure years of Cleveland fans ruining every single discussion of Wizards basketball anywhere on the internet with taunts about playoff series and Gilbert's missed free throws and general boasting as if winning the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery was the equivalent of winning the Finals. I mean, these people would go into the comments section of Washington Post discussions of Wiz draft options and talk trash. So last night was so, so, so very sweet for me. But it was enough. I feel bad for them now. I hope he stays.
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Gr00vus
Footballguy
No it wasn't - perfectly illustrated last night in fact.
boubucarow
Footballguy
A lot of experts like the Celtics over the Cavs if KG was healthy.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
People can sing better in NY.But seriously, stuff like what Garnett said last night is going to have much more bearing on what James does.
Bobcat10
Footballguy
Pretty much what Ferris said. They could sign/trade for a Bosh let's say while keeping Lebron. That's alot more realistic imo than a Cavs/Bulls sign/trade with Lebron, I see zero potential to that.
timschochet
Footballguy
Suppose Cleveland had acquired Amare instead of Jamison, as almost happened. Anyone think it would have made a difference?
Gr00vus
Footballguy
B-Deep
Footballguy
that is so pathetic, it is perfect
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
Shaq and Amare is an awful combination. We saw that in Phoenix.That said, it couldn't have hurt. Jamison disappeared in the last few games of the playoffs this year anyway. Sometimes it's better just to have more talent even if it doesn't all fit together real well (See 2006 Miami Heat).But more importantly, Cleveland would've been in a much better long-term position. Amare would've given LeBron a reason to stick around. There's nothing really attractive about the Cavs going forward.
rodg12
Footballguy
This year? Maybe, maybe not. However, long term it would have made a HUGE difference. LeBron likely stays in Cleveland with Amare as his sidekick going forward.
wadegarrett
FFA Legend™
Mike Brown fired per SI.
fightingillini
Footballguy
The real question is....would CLE want Deng and his bad contract? If I am CLE, I don't want Deng's contract. He's a good player, but not worth 12MM+. You lose Lebron, you're starting from scratch. Can't rebuild quickly if you have a bad contract on the books like Deng.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
So the city didn't make a song/video for him I take it?
B-Deep
Footballguy
did you see the video?
noleswin
Footballguy
I honestly think this is the most pathetic thing I have seen adults do in all my life.
