Has a finals team imploded like this since the Bulls?

[celticsclay]

After the bulls second 3 peat Jackson was let go, Pippen was let go for peanuts, Rodman was let go, Kerr and Luc Longley were traded. Tim Floyd was brought in and they became absolutely terrible (I had to look this up to remember everything that happen)

This year we have the Cavs in the middle of 3 straight finals appearances
They let their GM go
Their are rumors of considering trading 2 of their best players
There are rumors Lebron wants to leave the team to go out west
There are rumors players are telling Butler to not to come to them

It seems like there could be a mutiny against Gilbert

Obviously these are all rumors, but if this team blows up over this would it be the craziest offseason for a finals team since the breakup of the bulls? Hard to believe how much worse things have gotten than a month ago when the Cavs were finishing off the Celtics for an 11-1 run through the east.

[Ilikesports17]

I'd pump the breaks a bit. There is a lot of smoke and they were always gonna be Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.ed as soon as Lebron left or was not longer a superstar. That said, as long as Irving and Lebron are still there they will be favorites to return to the finals.

I think we can really make a run at them but even if we can't this is surely their finals season at the top.

[celticsclay]

I'd pump the breaks a bit. There is a lot of smoke and they were always gonna be ****ed as soon as Lebron left or was not longer a superstar. That said, as long as Irving and Lebron are still there they will be favorites to return to the finals.

I think we can really make a run at them but even if we can't this is surely their finals season at the top.

I am clearly discussing a hypothetical based on rumors. Which, if you look on the right side off the board in latest forum topics, is the basis for every single thread we have right now.

[Ilikesports17]

I'd pump the breaks a bit. There is a lot of smoke and they were always gonna be ****ed as soon as Lebron left or was not longer a superstar. That said, as long as Irving and Lebron are still there they will be favorites to return to the finals.

I think we can really make a run at them but even if we can't this is surely their finals season at the top.

I am clearly discussing a hypothetical based on rumors. Which, if you look on the right side off the board in latest forum topics, is the basis for every single thread we have right now.

What exactly is the hypothetical?

[celticsclay]

I'd pump the breaks a bit. There is a lot of smoke and they were always gonna be ****ed as soon as Lebron left or was not longer a superstar. That said, as long as Irving and Lebron are still there they will be favorites to return to the finals.

I think we can really make a run at them but even if we can't this is surely their finals season at the top.

I am clearly discussing a hypothetical based on rumors. Which, if you look on the right side off the board in latest forum topics, is the basis for every single thread we have right now.

What exactly is the hypothetical?

They let their GM go (already happened)
They trade Kyrie (rumored)
It becomes clear Lebron will leave the following season a la George (rumored)

I would have put the chances of Lebron leaving Cleveland in the next 15 months as 5% 2 months ago. I would now put it at 75%

[Ilikesports17]

I'd pump the breaks a bit. There is a lot of smoke and they were always gonna be ****ed as soon as Lebron left or was not longer a superstar. That said, as long as Irving and Lebron are still there they will be favorites to return to the finals.

I think we can really make a run at them but even if we can't this is surely their finals season at the top.

I am clearly discussing a hypothetical based on rumors. Which, if you look on the right side off the board in latest forum topics, is the basis for every single thread we have right now.

What exactly is the hypothetical?

They let their GM go (already happened)
They trade Kyrie (rumored)
It becomes clear Lebron will leave the following season a la George (rumored)

I would have put the chances of Lebron leaving Cleveland in the next 15 months as 5% 2 months ago. I would now put it at 75%

Yeah but how legit are the Kyrie rumors?

They don't seem to legit to me at the moment and that would be the real kickstarter to the implosion.

[cons]

its a total head scratcher to me that they let the GM go. I mean, what did he do wrong exactly?

and replacing him w Chauncey Billups?? great player and seems like a nice guy but um, he has zero experience. how is that going to inspire lebron to stick around?

i agree its looking doubtful over there right now, but why would Gilbert sabotage his team like this? maybe he doesn't want to keep paying the highest luxury tax etc, now that a championship has been had?

[celticsclay]

its a total head scratcher to me that they let the GM go. I mean, what did he do wrong exactly?

and replacing him w Chauncey Billups?? great player and seems like a nice guy but um, he has zero experience. how is that going to inspire lebron to stick around?

i agree its looking doubtful over there right now, but why would Gilbert sabotage his team like this? maybe he doesn't want to keep paying the highest luxury tax etc, now that a championship has been had?

This is eerily similar to what Krause did with the Bulls if you go back and read on it (which is what made me think of the whole thing)

[Moranis]

its a total head scratcher to me that they let the GM go. I mean, what did he do wrong exactly?

and replacing him w Chauncey Billups?? great player and seems like a nice guy but um, he has zero experience. how is that going to inspire lebron to stick around?

i agree its looking doubtful over there right now, but why would Gilbert sabotage his team like this? maybe he doesn't want to keep paying the highest luxury tax etc, now that a championship has been had?

Griffin supposedly wanted 7 million a year and complete control to make all decisions.  Neither of those things was he going to get from Gilbert.

[bdm860]

Not to derail the point, but I don't think the Bulls imploded, it was really more disassembled by design.  The contracts of Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and Phil Jackson all ran through the end of the '98 season.   They knew the end was coming, and nobody involved (players, coaches, or management) wanted to be stuck in a rebuild, or in the case of management, wanted to be stuck with high priced vets during a rebuild.  Jordan, Rodman, and Phil all signed 1 year contracts before the start of the season.  Reinsdorf famously said around that time, "I don't want to become the Boston Celtics of the next decade."  (Meaning the C's held onto Bird, McHale, and Parish too long, and were then in the middle of a pretty long stretch of suck).

Had the lockout not happened, Jordan might not retire, and everybody probably would have been back on 1 year contracts again.

And in the Bulls case, management and ownership were on the same page.


But the Cavs, ya that looks like imploding.  Will be interesting to see how it all plays out.  Go trade for those 2021 and beyond Cavs picks now, because it ain't going to be pretty there in a couple of years.

[Moranis]

The Cavs aren't imploding, at least not yet.  Their general manager whose contract was up was not retained.  That isn't imploding.  Now sure if all of these magical things happen, none of which is very likely, then sure implosion would be the correct term, but those things haven't happened and don't really seem all that likely.  Well trading Love may happen, but it will be to bring in Butler or George, which many would see as an upgrade.

[bdm860]

its a total head scratcher to me that they let the GM go. I mean, what did he do wrong exactly?

and replacing him w Chauncey Billups?? great player and seems like a nice guy but um, he has zero experience. how is that going to inspire lebron to stick around?

i agree its looking doubtful over there right now, but why would Gilbert sabotage his team like this? maybe he doesn't want to keep paying the highest luxury tax etc, now that a championship has been had?

Griffin supposedly wanted 7 million a year and complete control to make all decisions.  Neither of those things was he going to get from Gilbert.

Ha, LeBron's buddies all got paid, he figured he might as well too.

$7m doesn't seem bad though, especially not for somebody who was the GM of a championship team.  According to this article from last year, Griffin was the 5th highest paid GM at $5.8m, a bump to $7m seems fair.

Now about that complete control part lol.

[celticsclay]

The Cavs aren't imploding, at least not yet.  Their general manager whose contract was up was not retained.  That isn't imploding.  Now sure if all of these magical things happen, none of which is very likely, then sure implosion would be the correct term, but those things haven't happened and don't really seem all that likely.  Well trading Love may happen, but it will be to bring in Butler or George, which many would see as an upgrade.

You were on record saying there was no way Lebron would leave Cleveland again unless it was go play with his son for one year at the end of his career about 2 weeks ago. Is that still how you feel?

[Moranis]

The Cavs aren't imploding, at least not yet.  Their general manager whose contract was up was not retained.  That isn't imploding.  Now sure if all of these magical things happen, none of which is very likely, then sure implosion would be the correct term, but those things haven't happened and don't really seem all that likely.  Well trading Love may happen, but it will be to bring in Butler or George, which many would see as an upgrade.

You were on record saying there was no way Lebron would leave Cleveland again unless it was go play with his son for one year at the end of his career about 2 weeks ago. Is that still how you feel?

Depends how this season goes.  James clearly doesn't like Gilbert and Gilbert has given him an out (because James liked Griffin and what Griffin was able to do a great deal), but if the season goes well, I still think James stays in Cleveland. 

[cons]

its a total head scratcher to me that they let the GM go. I mean, what did he do wrong exactly?

and replacing him w Chauncey Billups?? great player and seems like a nice guy but um, he has zero experience. how is that going to inspire lebron to stick around?

i agree its looking doubtful over there right now, but why would Gilbert sabotage his team like this? maybe he doesn't want to keep paying the highest luxury tax etc, now that a championship has been had?

Griffin supposedly wanted 7 million a year and complete control to make all decisions.  Neither of those things was he going to get from Gilbert.

Ha, LeBron's buddies all got paid, he figured he might as well too.

$7m doesn't seem bad though, especially not for somebody who was the GM of a championship team.  According to this article from last year, Griffin was the 5th highest paid GM at $5.8m, a bump to $7m seems fair.

Now about that complete control part lol.

yeah, w the way the moneys going around the league soon the mascots will be demanding at leat 1 mil/ year

seems silly to let go of a championship level GM while your team has a once in a lifetime superstar on board.

glad our owners aren't like this guy.