The biggest storyline of the offseason just got some added fuel on Friday night after LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept out of the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007. James wasn’t ready to talk about the future just yet in the aftermath of the blowout defeat but the options are plentiful for the MVP candidate as he weighs his option for the Decision: Part III.
"The one thing that I've always done is considered, obviously, my family," James said Friday night. "Understanding especially where my boys are at this point in their age. They were a lot younger the last time I made a decision like this four years ago. I've got a teenage boy, a preteen and a little girl that wasn't around as well. So sitting down and considering everything, my family is a huge part of whatever I'll decide to do in my career, and it will continue to be that. So I don't have an answer for you right now as far as that."
Countless teams have been tied to James in some form this postseason, but which ones have a realistic shot of landing the All-Star via a sign-and-trade or free agency. Here's a closer look at the options that will be weighed over the next few weeks.
Cleveland: Staying put may appear to be an easy choice on the surface but it can’t be considered an appealing one for James if the goal is to compete for championships. The Cavs have the No. 8 pick and Kevin Love to use in trade talks to search for upgrades, but virtually the rest of the roster has no or negative trade value. It will take assets to dump the pricy contracts of guys like J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and George Hill, all of which are making over $14 million next year. If James opts in, the Cavs will have $137 million committed to ten players already putting harsh luxury tax penalties in play for ownership, which will limit Cleveland’s options for improvement. With virtually the entire roster moving further from their prime with each passing year, it’s hard to envision James opting for a return.
Houston: The Rockets came closer than anyone to knocking off the Warriors in the past couple years, so this is as good of a win-now destination as there is out there. However, the obstacles that stand in place of James-to-Houston are very real if all parties involved want to get paid market value. Chris Paul is due over $35 million a year if he wants a max deal, which makes a sign-and-trade the only realistic way James can land in Houston. The Rockets don’t have much to offer the Cavs in the way of appealing assets. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson make the money work, but Anderson’s deal is toxic. Houston would have to throw countless first-round picks at Cleveland for them to take it on, but that might not be enough. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey will have to get creative here to make something work, otherwise, someone is going to need to take a serious pay cut.
Philadelphia: The backdrop of Bryan Colangelo’s resignation makes this option even more intriguing now for James. Former Cavs general manager David Griffin is reportedly in the running for the gig and he has a great relationship with the superstar dating back to last season. The Sixers also have the necessary cap room to sign James to a max deal outright without making any serious subtractions to the roster (outside of J.J. Redick). They can also dangle the No. 10 overall pick (via LA Lakers) in trade talks to help make additional upgrades to the roster to appease James. The on-court fit here could be challenging (James and Ben Simmons both thrive with the ball in their hands) but the Sixers would immediately be strong challengers to the Warriors with James in place.
LA Lakers: The trade of Jordan Clarkson to the Cavs at the trade deadline put the Lakers in far position to open up two max salary slots this summer for James and another All-Star. However, from a talent standpoint, the Lakers would face an uphill battle to contend with the likes of the Warriors and Rockets after a roster makeover. There are some promising young piece to work with (Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball) but no one is playoff proven from that group. If James is putting a priority on winning while he remains in his prime, this is going to be a tough sell, unless the Lakers can ship out those youngsters for more win-now talent. However, if the focus is off the court for James (Hollywood, endorsements) few cities can offer more on that front than the Lakers.
The long shots
Boston: We detailed the hoops that would have to be jumped through in this scenario back on Wednesday. Those issues make it far from impossible but it would still be a risky proposition for Danny Ainge without assurances from James. It’s hard to envision the Celtics blowing up their roster for one year of James. If he agrees to sign on for two or more years? The prospect gets a lot more interesting for Boston. The guess here is it never gets that far down the road. James has to look at the Celtics if his sole priority is winning, but with other factors in play, it falls further down the list.
Miami: A return with Dwyane Wade in South Beach seems like a possibility in theory but the Heat has not put together an appealing roster for James to work with since his departure. They’ve packed their payroll with lots of sizable contracts for role players (Kelly Olynyk, Dion Waiters, James Johnson) and big money for a center who can’t stay on the floor (Hassan Whiteside). The Cavs wouldn’t be excited to take on any of those pieces in a sign-and-trade and with most of their future draft compensation already dealt away, the cupboard looks pretty bare in Miami.
Predicting the odds of where James lands
1. Philadelphia
2. Houston
3. LA Lakers
4. Cleveland
5. Boston
6. Team X
7. Miami
Other NBA News and Notes
- Iman Shumpert opted into his $11-million player option on Friday night, which takes up another sizable chunk of the Kings salary cap space this summer. Sacramento only will have roughly $15 million to work with in free agency, which should limit their ability to make a big splash (and keep the C’s lottery pick from them in prime position).
- The Warriors are reportedly looking into extending the contract of Steve Kerr, who has one-year left on his original five-year pact signed in 2014. With the rest of the Golden State core under contract, this should be a relatively quiet offseason for the two-time defending champions.
- Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren is one of the candidates for the Sixers general manager opening in Philadelphia after the team parted ways with Colangelo last week. Zarren was a finalist in a Sixers general manager search earlier this decade as well, but he pulled out of the running before the job went to Sam Hinkie. Given his local ties and the presence of David Griffin as the frontrunner for the position, it would be a surprise to see Zarren depart for the position.
- The public disclosure of a coaching search appeared to burn the Pistons this week as finalist John Beilein announced he was pulling himself out of the running and staying put at the University of Michigan after Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported he was one of the three finalists left for the position. Given the number of leaks across the media landscape these days, it makes it even more impressive how the Celtics were able to keep the lid on the Brad Stevens hire before the announcement was made on July 4th. Dwane Casey and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka remain in the running for the job.