Lebron James to LA Lakers?

[LALakersboy24.7]

D-Wade's knees are done and this was clearly his last good season.. if you can even call it good. LA seems to have no problem throwing money around and Lebron could probably talk some other guys like melo into taking less so he can put his new all-star team together. It'll be interesting to see who James gets to sign on with him.

Wade is finished & should just retire. What a bum his become, if I was the Heat I would not re sign him considering he want's a lot of cheese.

 

[trojanfan12]

First of all, to be clear, I know you have never thought James was going to L.A. at this time.


As far as any direction, how can you say that when Kobe will make 24K? That can't change.

No, it can't. But the Lakers can add Lebron on max FA and then go over the cap filling in the rest of the roster. They have said that the cap is not a deterrent if it means contending. Lebron makes them a contender.

If anything, the Heat can go in any direction because all of their big contracts can end in 2.5 weeks if the players decide to opt out. They are 1000x in a potentially better situation.

Can end and will end are completely different than literally only having 4 players under contract. In order for the Heat to do much about their roster, both D-Wade and Bosh would have to opt out and re-sign for less. Most of the "experts" that I have heard see this as unlikely.


And for both THIS Kobe and THIS Wade, neither will ever lead any team to any title, EVER again.
As far as saying who MAY be the bigger contributor, I say flip a coin, just depends on the day of the week and whose body is still functioning during the playoffs.

Very true. I think the one difference though is that Kobe saw that as he got older he was losing his explosiveness and started developing his jump shot. Wade hasn't done that. Kobe plays in a way now (or at least before the Achilles) that means less wear and tear than D-Wade. That's the only reason that I think Kobe could contribute more. But we also haven't seen what Kobe can do after the last 2 injuries. That would be the big mystery right now.


I have said Wade can't be depended on for a looooooong time now.

Others here (all non Heat fans) are the ones saying this is Wades team and that he is the leader, etc....

He has done ALOT for the Heat, which will never be forgotten, but if he wasn't so tight with James, I would say send him packing if he doesn't agree to a substantial pay cut.
I'm quite sure he and James will have that conversation though.

The problem would be trading him this year because who would want that contract when he still has another opt in next summer?

Yeah, plus the Heat would have to take back pretty close to an equal amount in salary. Most of that would probably be made up by players who collectively aren't as good as Wade right now.

If I'm Lebron and Heat fans, I place my trust in Riley. Plus, if memory serves, Lebron has an opt out this year and doesn't automatically become an FA until after next season. So he could simply trust Riley, not opt out and then just go into free agency next year if Riley can't deliver. Not to mention that the Heat could let Wade and/or Bosh walk and bring in someone else after next year.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

"No, it can't. But the Lakers can add Lebron on max FA and then go over the cap filling in the rest of the roster. They have said that the cap is not a deterrent if it means contending. Lebron makes them a contender. "




Here's where I think you are wrong...unless you mean over the cap by adding veteran minimum contracts. Like the Heat did in year 1.
You can't just add any salary you want like in baseball.
When you can go over, is resigning players already under contract if you are willing to pay the luxury tax.

 

[purguy12]

I don't see this happening. No reason to go there. He has no pieces there. Best options for him would be Miami, Cleveland, Bulls and maybe the Knicks. LA Clippers maybe but they would have to trade Blake to Miami to get LBJ.

 

[trojanfan12]

"No, it can't. But the Lakers can add Lebron on max FA and then go over the cap filling in the rest of the roster. They have said that the cap is not a deterrent if it means contending. Lebron makes them a contender. "




Here's where I think you are wrong...unless you mean over the cap by adding veteran minimum contracts. Like the Heat did in year 1.
You can't just add any salary you want like in baseball.
When you can go over, is resigning players already under contract if you are willing to pay the luxury tax.

Basically, that's what I'm suggesting they would do. In the extremely unlikely scenario that they actually get Lebron, I could see the following.

Pau re-signs for 2 years at a lower rate (he has already said he'll take less for a chance to win), they re-sign some of the guys from last year (Farmar, Bazemore, Swaggy P?) for about the same as they paid this year and fill in with vets minimum deals (it's already been shown that quality vets will do this to play with Lebron).

Then, in a couple of seasons, when Kobe, Pau and Nash are gone and their contracts are off the books, they can re-build again with even more money available than they have now.

Selling Lebron on the above is really the only scenario where he ends up a Laker. Thing is, the Heat can offer him essentially the same type of deal. Which is why I don't think he leaves.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Basically, that's what I'm suggesting they would do. In the extremely unlikely scenario that they actually get Lebron, I could see the following.

Pau re-signs for 2 years at a lower rate (he has already said he'll take less for a chance to win), they re-sign some of the guys from last year (Farmar, Bazemore, Swaggy P?) for about the same as they paid this year and fill in with vets minimum deals (it's already been shown that quality vets will do this to play with Lebron).

Then, in a couple of seasons, when Kobe, Pau and Nash are gone and their contracts are off the books, they can re-build again with even more money available than they have now.

Selling Lebron on the above is really the only scenario where he ends up a Laker. Thing is, the Heat can offer him essentially the same type of deal. Which is why I don't think he leaves.

Exactly.
Not happening.
Reasons being, he's not going to intentionally rebuild with any team for 2-3 years.
His body has too many NBA years and miles on it.

Next , if he leaves NOW, he's going somewhere in the East.
That team would immediately leap to being the favorite.

I doubt he ever locks himself into any long term scenario again. If the Lakers ever become the best situation for him, he would join them at the point.

 

[Malibu]

Not interested at all seeing that piece of shit on the Lakers. Won rings without him and can do it again. It just may take some time.

 

[trojanfan12]

Exactly.
Not happening.
Reasons being, he's not going to intentionally rebuild with any team for 2-3 years.
His body has too many NBA years and miles on it.

Next , if he leaves NOW, he's going somewhere in the East.
That team would immediately leap to being the favorite.

I doubt he ever locks himself into any long term scenario again. If the Lakers ever become the best situation for him, he would join them at the point.

The only reason for him to go to the Lakers at this point would be to add "brought a storied franchise back to the top" to his resume. I don't see that as being a reason for him to leave a comfortable situation with a team of fans who love him (except for Paolo) and that has a GM that he knows and trusts.

Now, if Riley were to up and retire after the finals are over, I'd like the Lakers chances a lot better.

 

[RobToxin]

I just threw this out there on an other thread and of course it isn't going to happen but playing play pretend....

Spurs win Sunday.

Duncan retires.

LeBron opts out and signs with San Antonio.

Just imagine:

LeBron's talent in Pop's hands!

 

[trojanfan12]

I just threw this out there on an other thread and of course it isn't going to happen but playing play pretend....

Spurs win Sunday.

Duncan retires.

LeBron opts out and signs with San Antonio.

Just imagine:

LeBron's talent in Pop's hands!

That would be scary as hell for the rest of the league.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I just threw this out there on an other thread and of course it isn't going to happen but playing play pretend....

Spurs win Sunday.

Duncan retires.

LeBron opts out and signs with San Antonio.

Just imagine:

LeBron's talent in Pop's hands!

Move from South Beach to San Antonio?

James has a wife/kids.

NOT happening.

 

[LAKERSUSCBAM]

It wouldn't be just Lebron and Kobe. They could also re-sign Pau and some of the young, athletic FA's that they had this past season. They can add Lebron and go over the salary cap re-signing their own FA's. The Lakers have no issue going over the cap if it means a contending team, which the addition of Lebron would make them


Exactly. They're not going to go crazy and go way over the cap but they will spend because that's not a club that will take their time in getting back to the pedestal. Of course things have to go right - they rolled the dice with D12 and Nash and lost, but they didn't sit pat is my point.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Not interested at all seeing that piece of shit on the Lakers. Won rings without him and can do it again. It just may take some time.

You sound dumb. Kobe is the piece of shit compared to Lebron. He doesn't want to go to the shitty Lakers anyway.

 

[anotheridiot]

Actually, Kobe's contract has nothing to do with how long term a contract the Lakers give Lebron. The Lakers can offer a max deal on top of what they gave Kobe. In short, Kobe's deal doesn't change what they can offer Lebron. If they get Lebron, they will have no problem with going over the luxury tax to put a contending team around him.

The Lakers are taking their time in hiring a coach because they want to see what Lebron is going to do and what kind of roster they will be putting together so that they can hire the right coach for the roster.

As for nobody mentioning the Lakers, they just talked about it with Chris Mannix on Dan Patrick this morning.

The Clippers have no cap space and there is a shitstorm brewing their with the ownership situation. Donald Sterling has withdrawn his support of the sale, the lawsuit is back on and he has hired an investigative firm to dig up dirt on the NBA, Sterling, Silver and all 29 of the other owners.

Having said all of that, I don't think Lebron leaves Miami. I think he trusts Riley to get him the help he needs.

The lakers have 5 players under contract. They can go over the cap to sign their own free agent before he files for free agency, but cannot go over the cap to sign someone elses. Their current payroll for next year is 35 million, 23 for kobe, 9.7 for nash, the rest between 3 guys. If they sign Gasol, who made 19+ last year, that puts them at 55 or so with about 22 left. When Miami pulled off the threesome, they had basically no payroll. It gets fuzzy with the cap, they can get lebron if he wants to share LA with Kobe, but little else.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

The lakers have 5 players under contract. They can go over the cap to sign their own free agent before he files for free agency, but cannot go over the cap to sign someone elses. Their current payroll for next year is 35 million, 23 for kobe, 9.7 for nash, the rest between 3 guys. If they sign Gasol, who made 19+ last year, that puts them at 55 or so with about 22 left. When Miami pulled off the threesome, they had basically no payroll. It gets fuzzy with the cap, they can get lebron if he wants to share LA with Kobe, but little else.

What 5 players ? the only players under contract for the Lakers next season, is Kobe, Nash, Sacre & just recently Marshall & if they re sign Pau Gasol it's not going to be for the same amount as last year, it will be far less & If Nash retires, that's another 9 million off the books. Let's not forget money is not an issue for the Lakers as long as they have a contending team, they will spend & go over the cap if possible.

 

[LogicMan]

If LA had given Dwight mr Jackson as coach and let Dwight know he was the future not Kobe this would all look different. Pay 20 for Dwight, maybe the same for Lebron and tell Kobe he is worth about 15. That did not happen. But they compounded it by abusing Dwight in the press when he rejected the Jackson less plan and then Mitch mortgaged the future by signing Kobe to that silly deal.

It was easily realistic that Lebron, Kobe and Dwight would be fostered next year with Phil the coach.

Now? No coach, no Dwight, no picks besides this year until 2018 and an inability to conduct a pat Riley deal like bosh Lebron wade did.

Let's not blame Kobe all this, but absolutely his deal now makes LA unattractive for anyone looking to win a title in next two years.

 

[raptorlife4]

Move from South Beach to San Antonio?

James has a wife/kids.

NOT happening.

His wife and Kids live in Akron

 

[raptorlife4]

Top 5
1.Miami
2.Chicago
3.Boston
4.Knicks
5.Raptors (no Im not kidding)

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

His wife and Kids live in Akron

Maybe in the summer if he goes home for a bit.
During the season, they are all here.
She recently opened a juice bar near the arena.
His kid recently played a league game 10 minutes from my house.

 

[Heatles84]

I just threw this out there on an other thread and of course it isn't going to happen but playing play pretend....

Spurs win Sunday.

Duncan retires.

LeBron opts out and signs with San Antonio.

Just imagine:

LeBron's talent in Pop's hands!

If Lebron was drafted by the Spurs, they'd probably have the most ridiculous run in NBA history - similar to the 60's Celtics. It's a shame that Lebron has had some mediocre coaches during his career.