Lebron Goes To...

[newBluePlanet]

1 and 8 in the last 2 Finals,
at 33, Lebron is not going to hang around in Cleveland where there will be no quick fix next year.
so what team will he gift himself to?

still playing at his peak, he'd be guaranteed another trip to the Finals with a couple of teams in the East.
in the West he's competing with the Warriors for the Conference Finals.
even if another star joins him in LA they won't get past GS next year.
after this sweeping that will not be acceptable.
and, no, the Warriors are not an option. he has more pride than than that (that, being Kevin Durant)

he'd have to go Rockets.
his best choice is Celtics.

 

[Finito]

I honest think he stays in Cleveland.

I think Boston makes a run at Kawhi. People forget but Kawhi is probably the second best player in the NBA and he's younger.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I honest think he stays in Cleveland.

I think Boston makes a run at Kawhi. People forget but Kawhi is probably the second best player in the NBA and he's younger.

no way he stays in Cleveland.

 

[GatorAZ]

Lakers or Philly. Almost positive it’s one of the two.

 

[newBluePlanet]

i forgot about Kyrie in Boston
in Facebook terms, their relationship "is complicated"
what about San Antonio?
can they pass GS with him and Aldridge if they trade Kawhi for another star?
Kawhi would probably have to stay to get it done

 

[Hoop Head]

Philly, Houston, and then San Antonio are the teams I think stand the best chance to sign him, in that order also.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Philly, Houston, and then San Antonio are the teams I think stand the best chance to sign him, in that order also.

do the Spurs actually have the cap room to do it?

A Bron/Kawai/Aldridge front line would be pretty damn nasty with Pop coaching them.

 

[newBluePlanet]

perhaps Philly, but since the team is so young they'll need another piece

 

[Hoop Head]

Posted this in the playoffs thread, it has various bookmakers takes on where Lebron ends up. Cleveland isn't the favorite for any of them. Getting swept ruled out a chance of a return, IMO. Had they taken a game or two I think he'd have a harder time leaving but he knows they're in no position to compete next year.

I'd like to see him stay with Cleveland but at the same time I think it's best for the NBA if he went somewhere else to challenge the Warriors again. The Warriors are close to unbeatable in the playoffs in terms of winning 4 of 7 games against them. If Lebron was 30, I'd say he should stick it out in Cleveland but at 33, he's too old now to wait for them to retool.


https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/odds-lebron-james-leaving-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Lakers or Philly. Almost positive it’s one of the two.

From his perspective I can't understand the Lakers. He almost certainly stays in the east IMO. That way it is almost a certainty that he is in the finals. He has virtually no chance of getting to the finals in the west with any team outside of Houston or GS.

 

[Hoop Head]

do the Spurs actually have the cap room to do it?

A Bron/Kawai/Aldridge front line would be pretty damn nasty with Pop coaching them.

They don't have it available now but I read something explaining how they could make the room and it wouldn't be that difficult for them. The main thing they would need is someone to take Pau off of their hands. If they could send Pau elsewhere then they need Rudy Gay and Danny Green to decline their player options, which is a possibility already because they're not very big deals right now. Chances are they'd opt out anyways to seek longterm contracts. Gay is due $9 million and Green is due $10 million. Pau is due $18 million, which would require some creativity to move him.

Here is an article that discusses it. They also mention a possibly Lebron for Kawhi trade, which may happen if Kawhi wants out.

https://www.ksat.com/sports/nba/spu...ames-to-join-san-antonio-spurs-gregg-popovich

 

[Finito]

Lebron would never go to SA. Lebron likes to be the top dog where he is at hes pretty much a GM/coach. It's what led to his fallout with Riley. In SA Pop is in charge and you buy into the system or you leave, lebron won't do that.

 

[overseascardfan]

I think if he goes west it HOU, if he stays east its PHI IMO. I know there was a lot of speculation about LAL but even if they get George, they would need to get rid of A LOT of guys with untradeable contracts to clear cap space and may have to include good young pieces to move a contract like Loul Deng's and LeBron & George would be all they could do because there would be no more cap room which is not enough to overtake GS.

BOS wouldn't be realistic if they kept Irving because again no cap room for LeBron with Hayward, Horford & Irving unless Irving or LeBron is willing to take a KD discount type deal with GS to fit under cap but there are rumors Irving may not stay in BOS.

TOR is in cap hell so they can't sign him.

Winning another title seems like a long shot unless he goes to HOU. HOU would have beat GS this year if they had LeBron.

 

[Chaplin]

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[overseascardfan]

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PHX did win the #1 pick so maybe this is the year of destiny.

 

[Red Bird]

Lebron goes to PHX and we 3peat! Speak it into existence!

 

[elindholm]

I'll go with Philadelphia. Good enough to compete right away, and with a strong likelihood of getting better quickly. Just think if they had Tatum instead of Fultz!

 

[overseascardfan]

Lebron goes to PHX and we 3peat! Speak it into existence!

You're going all LaVar Ball.

 

[TJ]

I have no clue as to where LeBron is going. I can make reasons for why he shouldn’t go to certain places.

Houston sounds like a destination, but that team would have no depth and I’m not sure at LeBron’s age and with his mileage that he wants to go balls to the wall in a D’Antoni offense.

Philly is talented, but very young with some very injury-prone players.

Celtics would be loaded, but it’d be at the expense of Kyrie, which i suppose is a reasonable trade-off.

Lakers might be a destination, but playing on Kobe’s and Magic’s team might tarnish LeBron’s legacy.

If LeBron were to go to GSW, his legacy would be completely shot.

Maybe San Antonio, where he’d have top-tier coaching and talent surrounding him (if they bring back Leonard). May need another piece or two.

I don’t know. This will certainly be more entertaining than the Finals.

 

[newBluePlanet]

PHX doesn't work. Lebron rightfully said yesterday "mental" (bb iq) matters.
now, if we added Trae Young along with Ayton we'd be more desirable
(if experience didn't matter. and if defense didn't matter)

 

[Hoop Head]

If Lebron joins the Warriors it'll be awfully hard to watch the NBA next year. The only reason I wouldn't quit entirely is because the Suns won the lottery. I think I can safely say I wouldn't watch any games the Suns aren't part of though. Signing with the Warriors should end the Lebron vs MJ debate right then and there also. No way can anyone make the case he's had inferior teammates, harder opponents, etc at that point. I know he'd be joining them at 33 years old but that says a lot about how he views competing in the NBA.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think the league would squash that move--just like CP3 to the Lakers.

 

[TJ]

I think the league would squash that move--just like CP3 to the Lakers.

The league was able to squash the CP3 trade because the Hornets were owned by the NBA at the time and it was a trade. I’m not sure, but the league can’t do much if LeBron were to choose to go to GSW as a free agent.

 

[elindholm]

Most of the teams being mentioned would have to do major salary dumping in order to get James. If we assume that that's in play, why isn't anyone considering Milwaukee? He'd stay in the Midwest and pair with Antetokounmpo and Bledsoe.

The Bucks have a lot of undesirable contracts, but a team like the Suns could be a trading partner if sufficiently enticed. For example, Brogdon could be the prize that gets the Suns to agree to take on Henson as well.

Unless James goes to Philadelphia (or Phoenix) -- well, or stays in Cleveland -- there are going to be some fire sales to make room for him. The Suns are in a really good position to take advantage of that dynamic.

 

[Weenus O'Baggins]

Houston is my pick