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Monroe: No they do
Cavs must win to keep LeBron
Mike Monroe - Express-News
He knew what was coming, so when reigning Most Valuable Player LeBron James hit the Big Apple on Friday, he had his rap ready.
Most of it wasn't new:
He's not saying where he's playing in the future until he becomes a free agent in July. ... He's never been an unrestricted free agent, so he's not going to rush his decision. ... He loves New York and Madison Square Garden.
But there was this a maximum contract offer isn't necessary to get his signature on a contract offered by a true le contender.
It's all about winning for me, he told reporters at The Garden after he wowed the crowd and led the Cavaliers to an easy win, so I've put myself in a position that when that day comes next summer, I want to win, and if I feel like the team is capable of winning, I'll make my decision like that.
Cleveland hasn't felt so queasy since the last time the Cuyahoga River caught fire.
The Cavaliers have only one big advantage over the other teams who covet James when he becomes a free agent. The league's collective bargaining agreement allows them to offer more money, a six-year deal worth about $120 million, compared to a five-year deal worth about $90 million available to teams far enough under next year's salary cap.
If winning a le trumps the extra $30 mil, well, you have to figure seven seasons in Cleveland without one will be proof there really is some sort of curse on Cleveland's pro sports teams.
Cleveland has a physical advantage, too. James grew up in Akron and still lives there, which is sort of like living in New Braunfels and working in San Antonio.
Of course, James managed to grow up rooting for the Yankees, rather than the Indians, so you wonder about those home ties. He gushed Friday night about playing in the Mecca of basketball, in front of stars from the entertainment world.
James' emphasis on le-worthiness can't really be good news for teams like the Nets and Knicks, either. Both positioned their cap space to offer James the max package. Neither will be a le contender, even with James.
Oops.
Where will James' summer options truly lie?
According to guaranteed salary cap commitments for next season, the teams that figure to have the ability to offer James max money, besides the Cavs, Knicks and Nets, are the Bulls, Clippers, Heat, Timberwolves, Thunder and Kings. The Rockets may be close.
Throw out the Wolves, Clippers and Kings, for obvious reasons. Ditto the Thunder, because, well, they play in Oklahoma City.
That leaves the Bulls and the Heat, and you can make a decent case that either team can be a le contender with James. Miami's Dwyane Wade already is a bona fide superstar. Chicago's Derrick Rose is on the cusp. Both Eric Spoelstra and Vinny Del Negro are well-regarded young coaches. Both teams have decent bigs.
If I'm Danny Ferry, the Cavs GM, I'm doing whatever I can to snag Stephen Jackson from the Warriors, even if it means trading Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his expiring contract.
Winning the le this season is the Cavaliers' last best hope of keeping James.
Monroe: No they do
I don't think the Rockets will have that much cap space, unless McGrady is shipped off, and Yao either retires, or restructures his contract
I think they are saying committed salary. We could come close but we have to renounce a lot of team options, etc.
He's probably going to New York. The more I watch Lebron, the more i wonder how much he really cares about winning les. Based on that disgusting and classless show he put on in the fourth quarter for the likes of Jay-Z and e Lee, putting himself in the best position to win a le seems a lot less important than having a yes-man coach who will let him do whatever he wants. Mike D'antoni is the perfect fit for what Lebron wants, a guy notorious for inflating stats and a coach who isn't a huge fan of discipline and accountability.
Mike tell us something we don't know for once
When he wants to remain maximum healthy to stick with New Yorker, he won't have too much desire to exhaust himself to win a le for the Cavs.
Besides, the Cavs won't win the NBA championship even if LeBron tries his best.
They ain't O & 41 like you, wangi. They're O & 39.
Yer NBA Old Maid.
Maybe, but yer 0 & 54 is the oldest maid.
tee, hee.
That's true. But, I've rang 15 times.
Yer NBA Old Maid.
Yer , you.
What the is Monroe smoking? The Nets with James would be more of a le contender than Cleveland for sure. Harris @ PG, James @ SF, Lopez @ C, and maybe $8-$10 million capspace to sign another decent player is a lot more than he has next to him in Cleveland. Plus some decent young talent in Lee and Yi.
Not with that ty bench. Unless they get lucky in the draft with the Dallas pick and the lottery.
It's a lot more to offer than playing with Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Sideshow Bob, Delonte West, and Jamario Moon. The Nets bench may be trash, but James is already dealing with that in Cleveland (and it'll be really nasty next year with no Shaq and Ilguaskas on his last legs).
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