Lebron opts out

[Randy]

Is he opting out... then join in again (not sure if that's even possible) in lower pay cut just to have extra cap space for Melo?

Is the NBA going to allow this? Seems to me there's a salary cap for a reason, to make the league competitive. I don't see Melo taking a pay cut just to be in Lebron's shadow either. Not to mention they're still going to have the same crappy bench if they get Melo. I think the spurs still beat them next year if all they do is add Melo.

[kraidstar]

whatever happens, it's nice knowing the miami "fans" are sweating here - this is the unfortunate side of having lebroid on your team, when things don't go his way, there's a good chance he quits.

[Randy]

Wade should sign a 4 year , 42.5 million dollar deal.   Those last two years wont be a big deal if the cap goes up as much as it has been speculated.  Make the first two years lower so they can sign Melo or Lowry.  Something like 9.5, 10, 11, 12 over the course of 4 years.

If you retire, you forfeit the rest of the money left on your deal.  Does Wade really want to stick around for years 3 and 4 in order to get all that cash?

And there's NO WAY Bosh is going to take a contract like that.  He can get 20 million a year the next two years, then probably sign another deal for 6 to 10 mill a year after that.  Bosh would literally be giving up 20 to 40 million dollars.

Mike

$6-10M/year for bosh? Sign me up.

Edit: Actually maybe not forgot he's 30.

[Onslaught]

I hope he plays for the Clippers. It will keep him away from the Lakers and the Lakers fans will have to see the Clippers be the "it" team in the NBA. And even if he wins rings there it won't matter. Whatever it takes to keep him away from the Lakers.

If Lebron goes to the Clippers, will Laker fans become Clippers fans?  I bet most do.

Many will. And I'm ok with that.. Because all they will have is 2-3 banners at most up after the run is over. But if he went to the Lakers then it's possible they will pass Boston, and that I can't live with.


The MOST important thing is the Lakers never past the Celtics.

[Birdman]

LeBron, Kobe, Melo on the same team and of all team the Lakers!!!Be the most hated team in NBA history!!!

[Waew]

Lebron always does this to weaken other teams who would drop their highly paid skilled players just to make room for him, even though we all know hes signing back with the heat.

[gar]

I hope he plays for the Clippers. It will keep him away from the Lakers and the Lakers fans will have to see the Clippers be the "it" team in the NBA. And even if he wins rings there it won't matter. Whatever it takes to keep him away from the Lakers.

If Lebron goes to the Clippers, will Laker fans become Clippers fans?  I bet most do.

Think the combination of Kobe's and LeBron's egos would create a disturbance that would be 13 on the richter scale and they would all end up in the pacific - along with Griffin force and CP3.

[gpap]

Here's something I am surprised no one has mentioned about Lebron.

As Celtics fans, we should hope and pray he goes out West (and I don't really care if him making it to the finals every year will be a tougher path.)

Because if he does, the Eastern Conference becomes anybody's ball game and the Celts can very easily re-enter the conversation of being a top team in the conference.

By the way, speaking of Lebron, I think he ends up in LA with either the Lakers or Clippers.
I really do. All he really cares about is his own personal brand and if he goes to LA, he becomes a MEGA STAR.

Or, like I suggested a few days ago, we should help the Rockets and number 32 out by taking Lin/Asik off their hands so they can go after Lebron.

Return the favor to McHale from the KG deal, while we improve our own standing in the East.

[RyNye]

Why on earth would Lebron leave Miami? That roster, flawed as it is, just made 4 straight Finals, and until a blockbuster deal happens in the East are still the odds on favorite to win the East again next season. Who else is going to win the East? Indiana will most likely be worse unless they retain Lance. If the Bulls get Melo they will be a threat, but not a favorite (and you are fooling yourself if you ever expect to see Derrick Rose at full force again). The 'Zards? The Raptors? Not yet, barring a surprise trade or leap from some player they already have. If Miami runs the team back, reloading the back end of their roster with whatever ring-chasing vets they can get their hands on, they will AT LEAST make the Conference Finals, and probably the Finals.

Further, Lebron isn't stupid. He knows how much negative backlash he got from "The Decision." He cares WAY too much about his legacy/place in league history and how people think of him as a person and player to leave a team again like that. He knows it will get him labelled a mercenary and change the way people think of him both now and 10 years after he retires.

He's not going anywhere.

[knuckleballer]

Here's something I am surprised no one has mentioned about Lebron.

As Celtics fans, we should hope and pray he goes out West (and I don't really care if him making it to the finals every year will be a tougher path.)

Because if he does, the Eastern Conference becomes anybody's ball game and the Celts can very easily re-enter the conversation of being a top team in the conference.

By the way, speaking of Lebron, I think he ends up in LA with either the Lakers or Clippers.
I really do. All he really cares about is his own personal brand and if he goes to LA, he becomes a MEGA STAR.

Or, like I suggested a few days ago, we should help the Rockets and number 32 out by taking Lin/Asik off their hands so they can go after Lebron.

Return the favor to McHale from the KG deal, while we improve our own standing in the East.

If Lebron goes the the LA Clippers to improve his personal brand and become a mega star, I hope the owner moves them to Seattle.   

[knuckleballer]

Why on earth would Lebron leave Miami? That roster, flawed as it is, just made 4 straight Finals, and until a blockbuster deal happens in the East are still the odds on favorite to win the East again next season. Who else is going to win the East? Indiana will most likely be worse unless they retain Lance. If the Bulls get Melo they will be a threat, but not a favorite (and you are fooling yourself if you ever expect to see Derrick Rose at full force again). The 'Zards? The Raptors? Not yet, barring a surprise trade or leap from some player they already have. If Miami runs the team back, reloading the back end of their roster with whatever ring-chasing vets they can get their hands on, they will AT LEAST make the Conference Finals, and probably the Finals.

Further, Lebron isn't stupid. He knows how much negative backlash he got from "The Decision." He cares WAY too much about his legacy/place in league history and how people think of him as a person and player to leave a team again like that. He knows it will get him labelled a mercenary and change the way people think of him both now and 10 years after he retires.

He's not going anywhere.

Because he's a coward and wants the easy way out, just like when he ran from his hometown Cleveland.  Just ask Riley...

"This stuff is hard. And you got to stay together, if you've got the guts. And you don't find the first door and run out of it," Riley said Thursday at his annual end-of-the-season news conference.

[gpap]

Why on earth would Lebron leave Miami? That roster, flawed as it is, just made 4 straight Finals, and until a blockbuster deal happens in the East are still the odds on favorite to win the East again next season. Who else is going to win the East? Indiana will most likely be worse unless they retain Lance. If the Bulls get Melo they will be a threat, but not a favorite (and you are fooling yourself if you ever expect to see Derrick Rose at full force again). The 'Zards? The Raptors? Not yet, barring a surprise trade or leap from some player they already have. If Miami runs the team back, reloading the back end of their roster with whatever ring-chasing vets they can get their hands on, they will AT LEAST make the Conference Finals, and probably the Finals.

Further, Lebron isn't stupid. He knows how much negative backlash he got from "The Decision." He cares WAY too much about his legacy/place in league history and how people think of him as a person and player to leave a team again like that. He knows it will get him labelled a mercenary and change the way people think of him both now and 10 years after he retires.

He's not going anywhere.

Because he's a coward and wants the easy way out, just like when he ran from his hometown Cleveland.  Just ask Riley...

"This stuff is hard. And you got to stay together, if you've got the guts. And you don't find the first door and run out of it," Riley said Thursday at his annual end-of-the-season news conference.

Exactly. If Lebron already left one city, what's to prevent him from leaving another.

Not to mention, unlike Cleveland, Lebron has no emotional attachment whatsoever to Miami.
He was basically a hired gun there for the last 4 years.

Wham, bam, thank you mam!

[D.o.s.]

Why on earth would Lebron leave Miami? That roster, flawed as it is, just made 4 straight Finals, and until a blockbuster deal happens in the East are still the odds on favorite to win the East again next season. Who else is going to win the East? Indiana will most likely be worse unless they retain Lance. If the Bulls get Melo they will be a threat, but not a favorite (and you are fooling yourself if you ever expect to see Derrick Rose at full force again). The 'Zards? The Raptors? Not yet, barring a surprise trade or leap from some player they already have. If Miami runs the team back, reloading the back end of their roster with whatever ring-chasing vets they can get their hands on, they will AT LEAST make the Conference Finals, and probably the Finals.

Further, Lebron isn't stupid. He knows how much negative backlash he got from "The Decision." He cares WAY too much about his legacy/place in league history and how people think of him as a person and player to leave a team again like that. He knows it will get him labelled a mercenary and change the way people think of him both now and 10 years after he retires.

He's not going anywhere.

Because he's a coward and wants the easy way out, just like when he ran from his hometown Cleveland.  Just ask Riley...

"This stuff is hard. And you got to stay together, if you've got the guts. And you don't find the first door and run out of it," Riley said Thursday at his annual end-of-the-season news conference.

The same Pat Riley who bolted from New York to join up with the Heat.

LeBron's grappling with his legacy in 2010 is a far cry from whatever LeBron wants to do in 2014. He might have lost all his hair in the process, but you can see how much more relaxed he is now.

[Celtics4ever]

Exactly. If Lebron already left one city, what's to prevent him from leaving another.

The supportive HEAT Fans?  JK  They deserve to lose him leaving early every loss in mass.  They deserve to lose their team as well.

it's nice knowing the miami "fans" are sweating here

I am sure they sweat alot when they are leaving the building with a game in progress.

[knuckleballer]

Why on earth would Lebron leave Miami? That roster, flawed as it is, just made 4 straight Finals, and until a blockbuster deal happens in the East are still the odds on favorite to win the East again next season. Who else is going to win the East? Indiana will most likely be worse unless they retain Lance. If the Bulls get Melo they will be a threat, but not a favorite (and you are fooling yourself if you ever expect to see Derrick Rose at full force again). The 'Zards? The Raptors? Not yet, barring a surprise trade or leap from some player they already have. If Miami runs the team back, reloading the back end of their roster with whatever ring-chasing vets they can get their hands on, they will AT LEAST make the Conference Finals, and probably the Finals.

Further, Lebron isn't stupid. He knows how much negative backlash he got from "The Decision." He cares WAY too much about his legacy/place in league history and how people think of him as a person and player to leave a team again like that. He knows it will get him labelled a mercenary and change the way people think of him both now and 10 years after he retires.

He's not going anywhere.

Because he's a coward and wants the easy way out, just like when he ran from his hometown Cleveland.  Just ask Riley...

"This stuff is hard. And you got to stay together, if you've got the guts. And you don't find the first door and run out of it," Riley said Thursday at his annual end-of-the-season news conference.

The same Pat Riley who bolted from New York to join up with the Heat.

LeBron's grappling with his legacy in 2010 is a far cry from whatever LeBron wants to do in 2014. He might have lost all his hair in the process, but you can see how much more relaxed he is now.

Lebron sure looked relaxed as he sat out the last 6 1/2 minutes of the final game.

Pat Riley didn't go running after losing losing to the Celtics in 84 which was the second year in a row he lost in the finals.