Woj on Lebron: Cavs are unsure if he will stay

[CelticsElite]

I would rather let lebron go to the Lakers. Would make it that much sweeter when we beat the Lakers

[wayupnorth]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

[CelticsElite]

I expect lebron to leave the cavs and go ring chasing as soon as he enters a decline. This may be it after next year


If lebron joins Lakers, is that the return of showtime

ball/clarkson
Russell/young
James/ingram
Nance/ World peace
Mozgov/zubac

[Celtics4ever]

If lebron joins Lakers, is that the return of showtime

ball/clarkson
Russell/young
James/ingram
Nance/ World peace
Mozgov/zubac

I doubt it, Mozgov is not a runner.  I still think Ball may struggle.

[Roy H.]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

They've had the highest payroll, but they've made a lot of cost cutting moves, too. For instance, they squandered multiple trade exceptions that could have upgraded the team. They gave up a future #1 to dump Varejao's expiring contract.

Lebron was upset when Miami let Mike Miller go over luxury tax. You think he's any more forgiving of Dan Gilbert?

[celticsclay]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

Yea Roy what are you talking about here. They signed his friends to big contracts (thompson, smith) after Lebron provided pressure. They have the highest team salary in league and in the history of the NBA. They still signed Williams and Bogut and Sanders mid season when Lebron wanted more players. Literally what else could they have done for Lebron to keep him happy? Most feel GM Lebron got so much of what he wanted that the team was a bad matchup for the Warriors. 

[GreenEnvy]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

I agree. I thought Gilbert has done everything LeBron has asked for. He signed TT and Smith to large contracts, they made trades to take on more salty, and obviously traded the top pick for Love.

LeBron basically built this team and can't give an ultimatum to make it better or else. If he can see there is no true room for improvement (lack of assets) and wants to leave, so be it. If he still resents Gilbert for the 2010 letter he penned (and came home in 2014 for the fans), I'll buy that too.

But he can't say DG hasn't done/spent enough. He's seemingly granted LeBron's every wish since coming back.

[Tr1boy]

"Adrian Wojnarowski on LeBron James: Not only is there no guarantee he’s coming back… I’m not sure there’s an expectation he’s re-signing there. I think they feel that he’s very much in play to leave again and likely head out West to one of the L.A. teams. – via The Vertical"


Maybe there is some truth to the rumors that he's going to LA. If he goes to the Clippers, that could affect the CP3 and Griffin free agencies.

I think the Cavs should screw Lebron this time and trade him

Lebron in turn can do this for the Cavs (instead of ditching them), and help them stay competitive for the future

You likely won't be able to get back big name players or someone like wiggins

but multiple 1sts and a few nice prospects wouldn't be out of the question(one year rentall)

[celticsclay]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

I agree. I thought Gilbert has done everything LeBron has asked for. He signed TT and Smith to large contracts, they made trades to take on more salty, and obviously traded the top pick for Love.

LeBron basically built this team and can't give an ultimatum to make it better or else. If he can see there is no true room for improvement (lack of assets) and wants to leave, so be it. If he still resents Gilbert for the 2010 letter he penned (and came home in 2014 for the fans), I'll buy that too.

But he can't say DG hasn't done/spent enough. He's seemingly granted LeBron's every wish since coming back.

Lol we said the exact same thing

[Roy H.]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

Yea Roy what are you talking about here. They signed his friends to big contracts (thompson, smith) after Lebron provided pressure. They have the highest team salary in league and in the history of the NBA. They still signed Williams and Bogut and Sanders mid season when Lebron wanted more players. Literally what else could they have done for Lebron to keep him happy? Most feel GM Lebron got so much of what he wanted that the team was a bad matchup for the Warriors.

Understandably, you guys don't follow the Cavs that closely, but they've made a number of cost-cutting moves:

1. They traded a #1 to clear Varejao's salary;

2. They let Matt Delladoeva walk in free agency, losing his salary slot as a tradeable asset;

3. They've let multiple trade exceptions expire without attempting to acquire players;

4. They gave up Mike Dunleavy and another #1 to get Kyle Korver and to dump Mo Williams. They could have kept Dunleavy and acquired Korver using a trade exception.

https://www.google.com/amp/deadspin.com/report-lebron-james-wants-the-cavaliers-to-increase-pa-1791658445/amp

[Ogaju]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz



That's how you beat Golden State.

HAHAHA this team will crush GSW.

[celticsclay]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

Yea Roy what are you talking about here. They signed his friends to big contracts (thompson, smith) after Lebron provided pressure. They have the highest team salary in league and in the history of the NBA. They still signed Williams and Bogut and Sanders mid season when Lebron wanted more players. Literally what else could they have done for Lebron to keep him happy? Most feel GM Lebron got so much of what he wanted that the team was a bad matchup for the Warriors.

Understandably, you guys don't follow the Cavs that closely, but they've made a number of cost-cutting moves:

1. They traded a #1 to clear Varejao's salary;

2. They let Matt Delladoeva walk in free agency, losing his salary slot as a tradeable asset;

3. They've let multiple trade exceptions expire without attempting to acquire players;

4. They gave up Mike Dunleavy and another #1 to get Kyle Korver and to dump Mo Williams. They could have kept Dunleavy and acquired Korver using a trade exception.

https://www.google.com/amp/deadspin.com/report-lebron-james-wants-the-cavaliers-to-increase-pa-1791658445/amp

I mean these are pretty small potatoes when you  have the highest team salary in the league...
Also nobody on these moves is a difference maker. I guess you could perhaps make the argument that Deron Williams is worse than Delladova. I probably don't believe that and think Lebron would have preferred Williams.

[Roy H.]

I don't trust Woj regarding anything related to Lebron. He's been stirring the pot for years.

That said, Lebron absolutely should play the "upgrade or I'm leaving" card. Gilbert has not spent as much as he could to improve the Cavs, and I'm sure that that doesn't go unnoticed.

Personally, if I'm Lebron I'm signing in Boston next off-season for the MLE, haha. Screw LA, go to a team made for your talents.

Horford / Zizic
Lebron / 2018 BRK #1
Hayward / Crowder
Bradley / Brown
IT / Fultz

That's how you beat Golden State.

Haven't the Cavs had, by far, the highest payroll in the league the last two seasons?

I really don't buy that.

Yea Roy what are you talking about here. They signed his friends to big contracts (thompson, smith) after Lebron provided pressure. They have the highest team salary in league and in the history of the NBA. They still signed Williams and Bogut and Sanders mid season when Lebron wanted more players. Literally what else could they have done for Lebron to keep him happy? Most feel GM Lebron got so much of what he wanted that the team was a bad matchup for the Warriors.

Understandably, you guys don't follow the Cavs that closely, but they've made a number of cost-cutting moves:

1. They traded a #1 to clear Varejao's salary;

2. They let Matt Delladoeva walk in free agency, losing his salary slot as a tradeable asset;

3. They've let multiple trade exceptions expire without attempting to acquire players;

4. They gave up Mike Dunleavy and another #1 to get Kyle Korver and to dump Mo Williams. They could have kept Dunleavy and acquired Korver using a trade exception.

https://www.google.com/amp/deadspin.com/report-lebron-james-wants-the-cavaliers-to-increase-pa-1791658445/amp

I mean these are pretty small potatoes when you  have the highest team salary in the league...
Also nobody on these moves is a difference maker. I guess you could perhaps make the argument that Deron Williams is worse than Delladova. I probably don't believe that and think Lebron would have preferred Williams.

They could have added $9.7 million in salary, and had their #1 to add to it. They didn't. They could have given Delly a contract that could be used to match salaries for a bigger acquisition. They didn't.

Those moves probably don't get Cleveland over the hump, but Gilbert didn't maximize Lebron's chances at a title, either. Not only that, but selling #1s to shed salary means that Cleveland has fewer assets to pursue an upgrade in trade.

None of this is really in dispute. Lebron' spokesman confirmed it.

Tension between LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers' leadership is centered on payroll spending, multiple sources told ESPN.

James and team owner Dan Gilbert have different views on the issue, and it has been straining the relationship, sources said.

...

When James was considering a return to the Cavs in 2014, he pressed Gilbert on whether he'd be willing to spend unconditionally on talent, regardless of the luxury-tax cost, sources said. Over the course of several meetings with James and his representatives, Gilbert agreed, and James subsequently signed with the team.

...

James, however, has grown frustrated. He perceives that the Cavaliers have slowed new spending after winning their first championship, sources said.

On Monday night, after a loss in New Orleans, James might have been referring to the team's recent money decisions when he said, "I just hope that we're not satisfied as an organization."

[timpiker]

The Cavs have kissed LeBUM's ass.  Period.  No doubt in my mind, he's taking the out next yr.

[celticsclay]

It is times like this Lebron is a bit tough to take. Lebron got his money. Irving got his Money. Love got his money. Smith got his money. Thompson got his money. They added 5 new players throughout the season despite them costing double the salaries cause of the luxury tax. They churned through Bogut, then Sanders than even took a flier on Tavares. They have carried James Jones on their roster who has one NBA skill apparently of being Lebron's friend. I mean at some point enough is enough.