lebron has declined to opt in (corrected)

[MattyIce]

LeBron James’ agent informed the Cavs he will not exercise his $35.6 million option and thus will become an unrestricted free agent, sources told @clevelanddotcom ... Story coming

https://twitter.com/joevardon/status/1012707275041955842?s=21

https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1012708129853698050?s=21

and btw...shams was beat by Joe V

[footey]

Makes sense.

It's too early for him to have a deal lined up with another team in a sign and trade. He can always re-sign with the Cavs, right?

[MattyIce]

Makes sense.

It's too early for him to have a deal lined up with another team in a sign and trade. He can always re-sign with the Cavs, right?

right

[CelticsElite]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23944841/lebron-james-declining-player-option-become-unrestricted-free-agent

WindhorstESPN
 LeBron James has informed the Cavs he won’t opt into his contract. This decision is favorable to the Lakers chances, hurts the Rockets chances and the Cavs remain firmly in mix.

[CelticsElite]

Sam Amico
✔
@AmicoHoops
 Security cameras being set up in front of LeBron’s Los Angeles home today so that the home can also be monitored by police in his current hometown of Bath, Ohio. Perhaps announcement not far off.

[Birdman]

Shock!!! Not really, but i thought the drama queen would wait until 11:59 pm to announce it

[hodgy03038]

Yeah it was expected and really doesn't clear up anything except for the possible sign and trade to Houston now being off the table.

[Moranis]

Yesterday David Griffin said he thought Lebron opting in would actually make it more likely he would leave since a trade would have opened up more potential landing spots.  I thought that was strange.  I guess we will see what he does this weekend or early next week.

[footey]

Does this mean a sign and trade is now off the table? He can only go to either Cavs or another team that has salary cap space?

[CelticsElite]

Yeah it was expected and really doesn't clear up anything except for the possible sign and trade to Houston now being off the table.

so what you’re saying is.... it wasn’t expected. Houston was a popular frontrunner for lebron

[Moranis]

Does this mean a sign and trade is now off the table? He can only go to either Cavs or another team that has salary cap space?

No.  He can be signed and traded, but it does reduce some of those options since a team acquiring him has to be under the luxury tax the entire season.

[BitterJim]

Does this mean a sign and trade is now off the table? He can only go to either Cavs or another team that has salary cap space?

Picking up the option would have made sign-and-trades impossible (since he would be under contract)

This makes a trade (outside of a sign-and-trade) impossible, but he can still sign with any team that has cap space (or the Cavs, since they have his Bird rights), or be sign-and-traded to any team not over the tax apron (since a sign-and-trade hard caps you)

[BitterJim]

Yesterday David Griffin said he thought Lebron opting in would actually make it more likely he would leave since a trade would have opened up more potential landing spots.  I thought that was strange.  I guess we will see what he does this weekend or early next week.

If he had picked up his option, I would have viewed it as a 100% chance he was leaving. There's no reason to pick up the option to stay with CLE vs. signing a 1+1 deal for more money and some security if he got injured

[Moranis]

Yesterday David Griffin said he thought Lebron opting in would actually make it more likely he would leave since a trade would have opened up more potential landing spots.  I thought that was strange.  I guess we will see what he does this weekend or early next week.

If he had picked up his option, I would have viewed it as a 100% chance he was leaving. There's no reason to pick up the option to stay with CLE vs. signing a 1+1 deal for more money and some security if he got injured

Depending on the final cap number his option might have actually been more money than a 1 year contract.

[celticinorlando]

Think he has been committed to the Lakers for a bit.