LeBron just opted out.

I remember debating with you guys a year or two back about him leaving to return to Cleveland some day.

Nervous yet?

LeBron, Melo, Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker would be the best team in the east for the next few years at least.

"Decision II"

Ha ha.

If he leaves all the bandwagon heat fans will start rooting for his next team.

I guess we'll know soon enough. If wade and bosh opt out also then perhaps they are all taking a pay cut to create room to get a guy like Melo or some quality role players.

If either of the locks in their current deal then he's gone.

I think he was always going to opt out. It's actually best for the heat if all "3" opt out, then they could resign them all to deals that allow other players to be brought in. If wade and bosh do not opt out, I will be worried

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The beatings will continue until morale improves.

LeBron isn't signing for less to play with bosh and wade again.

wade would be fool to opt out. he's worth no more than a mid level exception.

bron bron has 4 quality years left. he wants to cement his legacy by winning more rings with a talent laden preassembled team.

I remember when kobe and mj did that.

Oh wait...

and Carmelo isn't the answer. He's a good scorer not a good basketball player.

think tracy mcgrady.

So where could Lebron go to get that ring jsm?

Cleveland, Chicago, Houston.

Cleveland...sign LeBron, melo, have irving and the top pick.

I think he'll package himself with melo much like he did with bosh.

I think he'll stay in the east. better chance of reaching the finals right away. The west is stacked.

jsm08 Wrote:
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> LeBron isn't signing for less to play with bosh
> and wade again.
>
> wade would be fool to opt out. he's worth no more
> than a mid level exception.
>
> bron bron has 4 quality years left. he wants to
> cement his legacy by winning more rings with a
> talent laden preassembled team.
>


That's why he's leaving.

A team like Cleveland, who already has a star in Irving to go with back to back #1 overall picks AND the cap room to sign him and Melo is a Much better scenario for the next 4 or 5 years.

Plus he gets to right the only wrong in his career.

No-brainer.

He did not do Cleveand wrong screw 'em. If he goes back he is doing what he thinks is best for his career and family just like he did when he came. I hope he comes back but I really think Wade is frustrating him w/ his injuries, poor performances and turnovers. D Wade has quickly turned into the D Weak Link.

Yeah, I was really disappointed with Wade's performance in the series.

At the risk that the stat geeks on the board will get me, it just seems like when the team needed him most, he disappeared. You've got to take the attention (or at least SOME OF IT dammit) away from LeBron at least a little bit. Bosch was doing all he could but D Wade did like Kevin Durant of the Thunder disappeared when needed most.

I think his opting out is a bad sign. With Johnny footbal w/ the Browns and Labron w/ the Cavs Cleveland can be be in the spotlight if things fall in place for those 2.

Figures. I just shelled out $200 for #6 heat jerseys for my boys . And I hate the NBA . It's glorified ping pong...

GO DOLPHINS!!!!

mizzou15 Wrote:
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> He did not do Cleveand wrong screw 'em.

Oh, he screwed them...royally.

Why would he ever return to play for that asshole Dan Gilbert? Not happening. If he goes anywhere it'll be to the clippers. But I think he stays.

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The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Not with Blake here.

He's keeping his options open. That's all.

berkeley223 Wrote:
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> Why would he ever return to play for that asshole
> Dan Gilbert? Not happening. If he goes anywhere
> it'll be to the clippers. But I think he stays.


Its not about the owner. Its about the fans. Its his home town. They have a lot of cap space, a star in Kyrie Irving, and the first overall pick in 2013 and 2014.

They can dump two guys and have over 42 mill in cap space to sign LeBron, Melo and the 1st pick.

That's a young, loaded team to surround the best player on the planet with.

Its probably his best chance to win multiple titles and get to 6 or 7 to pass Jordan.

The fact that he gets to say "I'm sorry" to the fans in his hometown by bringing them multiple titles is just gravy.

I think if its LA, its the Lakers and not the Clippers. They can also clear enough cap space to sign LeBron and Melo. Just not sure how they fit with Kobe.

The whole thing about him saying sorry to the fans is off. Dude has nothing to be sorry about. If anything he mooches off those dumba**es by included them in his 'I have returned tour'. Those suckers will kiss his feet. Gilbert kisses his *** by paying him 5X as much as the Heat over his career. Labron is win win all over. I actually wishes him the best. As I said w/ Manziel with the Browns lotsa cameras will be on CLEV should he return. If not I think he heads to tinsel town. I really don't think he will take a pay cut to stay in MIA.

Smart guy.

you guys really don't understand the situation at all. lebron won't be taking a pay cut to stay in miami, who can pay him more than any other team. dan gilbert nuked any bridge with lebron with that idiotic rant the night of the "decision." I can't see LJ retuning to CLE at this point (maybe in a few years as a retirement tour). if wade and bosh opt out and take a little less than a max deal and a few other things happen (like haslem opting out and taking a pay cut which he likely would do if it helped the team) the heat can return the big 3 and add another good player or 2. Only way I see LJ not coming back is if Arison refuses to spend a lot of luxury tax $$.
LJ cares about his legacy and leaving the heat at this point for a different "dream team" (and who would that be?) would make him seem like a mercenary and not an "all timer"

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The beatings will continue until morale improves.

berkeley223 Wrote:
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> you guys really don't understand the situation at
> all. lebron won't be taking a pay cut to stay in
> miami, who can pay him more than any other team.
> dan gilbert nuked any bridge with lebron with that
> idiotic rant the night of the "decision."

If James can apologize and be forgiven for "the Decision" by many Cavs fans, Gilbert can be forgiven for blowing is stack about something LeBron has already apologized for.





>I can't
> see LJ retuning to CLE at this point (maybe in a
> few years as a retirement tour). if wade and bosh
> opt out and take a little less than a max deal and
> a few other things happen (like haslem opting out
> and taking a pay cut which he likely would do if
> it helped the team) the heat can return the big 3
> and add another good player or 2. Only way I see
> LJ not coming back is if Arison refuses to spend a
> lot of luxury tax $$.


I think you are missing the obvious Berk. Its not about the money. Its never been about the money. Its about surpassing Jordan's 6 titles.

That's why he ended up wit the heat and not the Nets or Knicks. They were able to put together the best scenario to win multiple titles.

That's not the case anymore. Wade is all but done. And they don't have the cap flexibility any longer to add complimentary players.

That team isn't going to get better if he stays, and its not good enough to compete with the best teams in the west and win 4 more titles.



> LJ cares about his legacy and leaving the heat at
> this point for a different "dream team" (and who
> would that be?) would make him seem like a
> mercenary and not an "all timer"

LJ does care about his legacy. That's why he's leaving. & titles. That's the only legacy he cares about.

As for being a mercenary...he already is. That's how you got him in the first place.

truth, if the big 3 all opt out and take slightly less on new deals, and haslem opts out and takes less $$, the heat could add a few really solid players and be as good or better than any other team james could join

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The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Cleveland treated him like a criminal when he left. He isn't going to cleveland.

berkeley223 Wrote:
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> truth, if the big 3 all opt out and take slightly
> less on new deals, and haslem opts out and takes
> less $$, the heat could add a few really solid
> players and be as good or better than any other
> team james could join

That is an option. But with wade breaking down its not his best option to win 4 more titles.

Lets say they both opt out as well and the each decide to take 10m a year to get Melo to Miami. It's still a big three because wade is going to get worse, not better. And Melo doesn't help your defense.

If I'm James the money means nothing.

Here are my options:

1. Stay in miami hope bosh and wade take paycuts so we can bring in Melo. Then hope wade stays healthy enough to make a difference.

2. Convince Melo to go to Cleveland. That team would be stacked.

3. After that I'm calling San Antonio, the Clippers, and Houston to see who can fit me under the cap.

I was thinking that the Lakers made a lot of sense but the more I thought about it the more I can't see it happening.
Kobe has 5 titles. If Melo and LeBron go there they have the same situation he has if he stays in miami. 3 stars but one who is fading fast. Plus if they went there and win the next two titles he'd have helped Kobe get to 7 and would need 4 more to pass him.


If he can get Melo to go to Cleveland it's his best option by a mile.

Tough sell though.

I agree Sam but it would be good business. He can make money and win champioships in CLEV.

Regarding the youtube apologies that was good business too. He did not owe it to them but he gave them one. If he apologized why the hell keep bringing it up. He did not screw Cleveland. He made a business decision that was lucrative to him. His contract was up he did not owe Cleveland sh*t. He worked his a$$ off for that franchise. Took them to a level they had never been too and they crapped on him. A young man wanting to take a position in another city and try something new happens all the time. Nothing to be sorry for he fulfilled all his contractual obligations to CLEV. Labron should be sorry, he owes CLEV that's BS and I am really not that much of a Lebron fan. See how MIA fans handle his leaving if he decides too. It will be mich classier than those losers in CLEV. Screw them. If Lebron goes back home I hope he cleans them out of 1/2 billion. Its possible.

You are missing the point mizzou.

He doesn't owe them an apology for leaving. They weren't going to get better fast enough and he had every right to leave as a free agent. He owes them an apology for dragging them through the self serving circus he created with "the decision."

Stephen A Smith knew all three were going to Miami a month before free agency started because they told him.

LeBron knew he was leaving months before that.

He messed up and toyed with the fans by saying there was a chance he'd stay when there wasn't. He's apologized for as much. And rightly so.

But nothing says "I'm sorry" like bringing them a championship or 4.

I agree. If lebron leaves I would thank him and wish him nothing but the best. If u told me wed have 4 title games in 4 years and 2 championships and then he's gone I would have taken that in a second

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The beatings will continue until morale improves.

I agree SamSam

back to Truth

No truth they did not tell Smith crap. Smith from what I remember was saying the trios' 'sources' were telling him. I hate that guy. I choose to believe that James was flip flopping on which city he would choose. MIA CLEV or Chicago. It was a big decision. Cleveland a small time city did not know how to handle such a big situation. They got all emotional over it.