James allegedly texted Durant about joining him in LA

[JBcat]

SuperFriends Part Deux.

lol there should be a comedy made about this.

[KGs Knee]

this is what irritates me about the league in recent history if this is actually true -- player collusion.  League (Silver) should put an end to this collusion crap and if LA should sign either one, tell the other they will not be allowed to sign in LA --> get their $ elsewhere.  Need to stop this perpetual unbalancing of the league by petty players trying to guarantee themselves a title.

Interestingly enough, I feel the exact opposite way on the manner.

Players should have the ultimate control over where they play, and I have no issue with players talking to each other about deciding to play together in a certain city.  Good for them if they want to do so, we should all be so lucky as to be able to choose our co-workers.

I think the caveat is that if players are under contract, as both James and Durant currently are, they should be required to respect the contract same as teams are required to.  Once they are both free agents, sure, go ahead and talk all you want but I think this kind of thing going on between two under contract players is bad for the league.

I think this is already technically against the rules per the current CBA, if I am not mistaken.

The issue has always been policing it.  How do you stop two individuals from having private conversations?

[libermaniac]

this is what irritates me about the league in recent history if this is actually true -- player collusion.  League (Silver) should put an end to this collusion crap and if LA should sign either one, tell the other they will not be allowed to sign in LA --> get their $ elsewhere.  Need to stop this perpetual unbalancing of the league by petty players trying to guarantee themselves a title.

Here's how you fix it:

a) Hard cap ... no exceptions
b) No max salary for any individual as long as it fits under team cap

[slamtheking]

this is what irritates me about the league in recent history if this is actually true -- player collusion.  League (Silver) should put an end to this collusion crap and if LA should sign either one, tell the other they will not be allowed to sign in LA --> get their $ elsewhere.  Need to stop this perpetual unbalancing of the league by petty players trying to guarantee themselves a title.

Interestingly enough, I feel the exact opposite way on the manner.

Players should have the ultimate control over where they play, and I have no issue with players talking to each other about deciding to play together in a certain city.  Good for them if they want to do so, we should all be so lucky as to be able to choose our co-workers.

As long as they are free agents i agree

yes, I should have been clearer about that.  when one or both parties are under contract, this should absolutely be prohibited.

Admittedly I'm not a fan of them doing it if both are free agents but there's really no contractual basis to say they shouldn't talk.  Personally, I hate the idea of colluding for 'superteams' by players.  if a team can put one together via trades or free agency without having to collude with free agents to make it work then so be it. 
By that last comment I'm talking about a situation where say LA talks to Lebron and Durant next year on a conference call saying "hey, if you each sign for $5 mill per year less than the max you can each make, I can pull in Player X with what we have left under the cap which would be as much as we can offer".  In that situation I would want the players to do what's best for them in a vacuum which would be to get their max contract.  in this scenario, both players get signed for what they're worth but the team is prevented from further loading the dice by picking up a 3rd 'max' player.

[slamtheking]

this is what irritates me about the league in recent history if this is actually true -- player collusion.  League (Silver) should put an end to this collusion crap and if LA should sign either one, tell the other they will not be allowed to sign in LA --> get their $ elsewhere.  Need to stop this perpetual unbalancing of the league by petty players trying to guarantee themselves a title.

Here's how you fix it:

a) Hard cap ... no exceptions
b) No max salary for any individual as long as it fits under team cap

I don't see teams going for (a) when it could cost them the players they've drafted and developed --> the creation of the Bird rules. 
I don't have a problem with (b) as long as the team is limited to space under a soft or hard cap for a free agent.  Lebron's worth half the space under the cap for what he brings in terms of talent and ticket sales and merchandising.  just won't be able to put a lot of talent around him.

[Vermont Green]

This current situation is actually even worse in that LeBron didn't allegedly text Durant about joining the team is he currently under contract with but about another team.  This is unethical in two regards.  How would you feel if you were the Cleveland owner and found out that while you were paying LeBron a ridiculous salary that he was recruiting players to join another team.

If LeBron was under contract with Cleveland and Durant was a FA, then him recruiting Durant to come to Cleveland seems fine.  If this is true as reported, LeBron is way out of line.

[GreenEnvy]

I would love it if they both went to LAL.

Then Danny should push all in for Kawhi. He won’t be able to go to the Lakers next summer. Does he really want to go to the Clippers for less money to be a mere afterthought?

Warriors dynasty is over.

PG13 stays in OKC.

Houston runs it back.

I think that would be the best thing that could happen for us.

[PaulAllen]

Lebron was just spotted in Miami with Riley and Splostra... Dunno if they can pull this off with cap issues but here we go again...

[ederson]

This current situation is actually even worse in that LeBron didn't allegedly text Durant about joining the team is he currently under contract with but about another team.  This is unethical in two regards.  How would you feel if you were the Cleveland owner and found out that while you were paying LeBron a ridiculous salary that he was recruiting players to join another team.

If LeBron was under contract with Cleveland and Durant was a FA, then him recruiting Durant to come to Cleveland seems fine.  If this is true as reported, LeBron is way out of line.

I don't think it a problem as long the player is doing his part of the deal with the team he is under contract. How can you forbit the players to think about their future?

In Europe football players are allowed 6 months before the end of the contract to discuss or even agree with another team.

[celticsclay]

this is what irritates me about the league in recent history if this is actually true -- player collusion.  League (Silver) should put an end to this collusion crap and if LA should sign either one, tell the other they will not be allowed to sign in LA --> get their $ elsewhere.  Need to stop this perpetual unbalancing of the league by petty players trying to guarantee themselves a title.

Interestingly enough, I feel the exact opposite way on the manner.

Players should have the ultimate control over where they play, and I have no issue with players talking to each other about deciding to play together in a certain city.  Good for them if they want to do so, we should all be so lucky as to be able to choose our co-workers.

As long as they are free agents i agree

yes, I should have been clearer about that.  when one or both parties are under contract, this should absolutely be prohibited.

Admittedly I'm not a fan of them doing it if both are free agents but there's really no contractual basis to say they shouldn't talk.  Personally, I hate the idea of colluding for 'superteams' by players.  if a team can put one together via trades or free agency without having to collude with free agents to make it work then so be it. 
By that last comment I'm talking about a situation where say LA talks to Lebron and Durant next year on a conference call saying "hey, if you each sign for $5 mill per year less than the max you can each make, I can pull in Player X with what we have left under the cap which would be as much as we can offer".  In that situation I would want the players to do what's best for them in a vacuum which would be to get their max contract.  in this scenario, both players get signed for what they're worth but the team is prevented from further loading the dice by picking up a 3rd 'max' player.

I believe they are both under contract until July 1st with their current teams.

[GreenEnvy]

Lebron was just spotted in Miami with Riley and Splostra... Dunno if they can pull this off with cap issues but here we go again...

If there is proof of that, that’s 100% tampering.

Doubt they were seen together.

[Phantom255x]

Hey Paul George, you see that? Lebron could care less about you. Only KD and Kawhi really matter lol

[dreamgreen]

The league has to find a way to put an end to this. Lebron is such a Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.!!

[PaulAllen]

Lebron was just spotted in Miami with Riley and Splostra... Dunno if they can pull this off with cap issues but here we go again...

If there is proof of that, that’s 100% tampering.

Doubt they were seen together.

SAS was reporting... he was taking the info from source, it didnt seem like he was 100% however he wouldnt have reported it if it was a falsity

[Moranis]

Joe Vardon a local Cleveland reporter says that sources close to James indicated to Vardon that James never texted Durant and that him going to the Lakers would not be sealed or doomed on whether or not the Lakers trade for Leonard.