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."
If that's true, it's understandable if LeBron is upset. Don't get me wrong - he's a remarkably spoiled by the organizations he's played for, and also by NBA officials. But Gilbert didn't uphold that promise.
At the same, LeBron could put his money where his mouth is and take a pay cut, ala Tom Brady. Even Paul Pierce took less money to give Ainge a little more flexibility for roster construction.
In any case, no sympathy here.
I'm pretty sure the Cavs have the highest payroll in NBA history (base salaries right around $125 million, if I recall correctly). Gilbert (over)payed all of LeBron's favorite players, including Tristan Thompson and JR Smith, effectively capping what the team could do in free agency or through trades. To get help this year, Gilbert signed the cream-of-the-crop buyout veterans (Williams, Bogut) and traded a first rounder for Kyle Korver.
LeBron is a great player with a fantastic BBIQ, but he's no capologist. I don't know if he fully understands the fact that the Cavs WANT to load up, but it's just not possible under the CBA. They have no cap space, and they have no trade assets; their team is made up of appropriately-payed LeBron, underpaid stars (Kyrie, Love), overpayed role players (JR Smith, Thompson), and vet-minimum or rookie-scale players (Jefferson, Korver, Felder, etc). That is not exactly conducive to salary matching, which is necessary becacause the Cavs are over the soft cap.
It also doesn't help that LeBron structured his first contract as a two-year deal so that he got his and was paid the highest possible salary after the cap jump.
What LeBron does know is how to manipulate the media. With the recent "Gilbert is a cheapo who insulted my mom and wife" campaigns, I'm inclined to think that LeBron is setting up an exit from Cleveland.
Topic: Woj on Lebron: Cavs are unsure if he will stay (Read 19939 times)