CoolBreeze44 wrote:Camden wrote:CoolBreeze44 wrote:Camden wrote:Pssst... a team that has LeBron, Horford, Hayward OR Irving, Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rozier (overrated, but still valuable), and Brad Stevens coaching is actually better than Golden State in my view.
Woah. I don't see it. I don't see Irving staying, and I don't think they can get it done by just losing one good player. Going to take more than that unless Lebron doesn't want to use his financial leverage.
LeBron literally has all the leverage in this situation. One of Irving/Hayward would be dealt to make room financially. The rest of the pieces included aren't roster-changing. The easiest move to make would be Hayward, Morris, and a first-rounder if Danny Ainge feels like it for LeBron. Done deal.
That's crazy. Teams will give up a hell of a lot more than that.
You're really not understanding this process, which is odd.
LeBron James holds all the cards. He can choose whatever team in the league he wants to go to whether they can sign him outright as a free agent or in a trade. Still with me?
Should LeBron James decide the team he wants to go to is Boston, then that's it. There will be no other suitors for him. Teams will not "give up a hell of a lot more than that" to get him. Why? Because why give up anything of value to get LeBron -- or any other marquee player -- when you know he's going to leave just months later to Boston (in this case) since he has made it known he wants to play for them.
LeBron's play would be to opt into the remaining year of his contract and then demand a trade to Boston in which the Cavaliers would happily oblige as to not lose him for absolutely nothing. And really, the Cavs could do much worse than Gordon Hayward/Marcus Morris/1st -- like losing him to free agency. This is not a new tactic in the NBA. Chris Paul did something similar last year going from LA to Houston. Shit, LeBron was traded from Cleveland to Miami after The Decision for two first-round picks and two second-round picks. The only difference in this scenario is that it wouldn't be a sign-and-trade and LeBron would be eligible to sign a max extension in the following season.
The point is, once LeBron makes up his mind (in this hypothetical, it's the Celtics), then it becomes a matter of Boston just matching contracts and throwing an asset at Cleveland for their trouble. It will be a one-team market for LeBron once his decision is made. Is that a little bit more comprehensive?