Agent - LeBron opting out of final year of contract, becoming unrestricted free agent.

[Kontradiction]

LeBron James will opt out of contract with Miami Heat - ESPN

LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, has informed the Miami Heat that James will exercise his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Opting out does not mean that James has decided to leave the Heat, sources said.

James, a four-time NBA MVP, had until June 30 to decide whether to opt out of the final two years of his contract with the Heat. He was scheduled to make $20 million next season and had two years and about $42.7 million remaining on his deal.

After Miami's season-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, James told reporters he would take a vacation with his family before considering his contract options.

James did indicate that he welcomed the opportunity to become a free agent and have the same level of flexibility he was afforded in 2010, when he signed with Miami after spending his first seven years in Cleveland.

I think he's as good as gone. As soon as the going gets tough, LeBron gets going... to a new team. I think he'll sign with Houston, personally. It's important to note he's not gone yet, but I highly doubt he's going to give Miami a chance to re-tool. He apparently had a problem with them letting Mike Miller go (a legitimate beef, IMO, as we missed him). But if he opts out before giving Riley a chance to re-tool that squad, he's a grade-A ****y in my book. If he leaves, I hope the Heat make a push for Carmelo this year and Durant next year while possibly drafting Napier so they can go and beat the brakes off of whatever team he goes to next.

 

[Kontradiction]

You guys wouldn't be interested in him coming to Boston though, right?

 

[SalemPats]

If he leaves again his legacy will be tarnished and I will have lost respect for him.

I personally don't want to come here

 

[SalemPats]

If Lebron, Melo, Love all jump ship I don't think this is a good sign for the NBA.

 

[Kontradiction]

If he leaves again his legacy will be tarnished and I will have lost respect for him.

I personally don't want to come here

That's why part of me thinks he won't opt out. He's obviously been concerned with his legacy, especially with regard to how it stacks up to the great ones. The great ones didn't change teams every four years. So I'm hoping he's opting out to renegotiate his contract and make it lower so the team can spend some money elsewhere. But we shall see...

 

[SalemPats]

That's why part of me thinks he won't opt out. He's obviously been concerned with his legacy, especially with regard to how it stacks up to the great ones. The great ones didn't change teams every four years. So I'm hoping he's opting out to renegotiate his contract and make it lower so the team can spend some money elsewhere. But we shall see...

I don't know how you can do better than 4 finals in a row, he found a team with an elite slasher in Wade, a skilled big man in Bosh and top-notch management. He's still a great player, but i will have lost respect for him. I don't think we have ever seen a superstar jump ship twice in his prime.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't know how you can do better than 4 finals in a row, he found a team with an elite slasher in Wade, a skilled big man in Bosh and top-notch management. He's still a great player, but i will have lost respect for him. I don't think we have ever seen a superstar jump ship twice in his prime.

The problem is that Wade is no longer elite. He needs to bring that contract back to the table and negotiate one that pays him as a 6th man, because that's where he's at in his career right now.

 

[SalemPats]

The problem is that Wade is no longer elite. He needs to bring that contract back to the table and negotiate one that pays him as a 6th man, because that's where he's at in his career right now.

It kind of bother me that Lebron thinks he need another superstar like a Wade in his prime. He needs a good bench but he has a 20/10 guy in Bosh and i think it's time Bosh became the #2 option. We kind of gave LeBron a pass in the regular season, but he should have taken over more. the Bulls in their winning seasons had 60 wins consistently including a 70 win season. You expect that dominance from the Heat, especially in the East

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

95% of heat fans just opted out as well after this move

 

[Kontradiction]

95% of heat fans just opted out as well after this move

Good. They can feel free to hop off the bandwagon any time they so wish.

 

[Kontradiction]

This is interesting...

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11128345/nba-teams-gear-runs-lebron-james-carmelo-anthony

But if Wade, Bosh and teammate Udonis Haslem follow James' lead and opt out of their contracts, Miami could create an NBA-record $50-plus million in cap space, which the Heat could use to remake their roster and include James and Anthony.

They may also be able to pull the trigger on a trade for a guy like DeAndre Jordan to give the Heat the athletic center that they've been missing since, well... since Shaq played for them. On top of that, Napier may fall into their range in the draft and they'd still have enough money to fill out the rest of the bench with younger, hungrier players.

 

[IcyPatriot]

You guys wouldn't be interested in him coming to Boston though, right?

I would no longer be a Celtics fan until he left ... yes I am serious.

But he's not coming here ... we have 2 stiffs under contract for a few years more in Green and Wallace.

 

[Kontradiction]

I would no longer be a Celtics fan until he left ... yes I am serious.

But he's not coming here ... we have 2 stiffs under contract for a few years more in Green and Wallace.

I doubt that would hold true if his arrival was the catalyst for a few more titles in bean town.

 

[joepatsfan]

I hate Lebron but if he showed up here I'd have to say yes.

I would still be very critical of him, but he'd make us a winner. Can't deny your favorite team winning.

Also realistically here are odds for me on where LBJ goes:

1. Miami 55%
2. Houston 25%
3. LA 10%
4. NY 5%
5. LAC 4.0000009%
6. Cleveland .000000001%

 

[Kontradiction]

I hate Lebron but if he showed up here I'd have to say yes.

I would still be very critical of him, but he'd make us a winner. Can't deny your favorite team winning.

Also realistically here are odds for me on where LBJ goes:

1. Miami 55%
2. Houston 25%
3. LA 10%
4. NY 5%
5. LAC 4.0000009%
6. Cleveland .000000001%

Of course you'd root for him. So would Icy if he brought the trophy back to Boston a couple more times to help solidify them as the winningest franchise in NBA history. As for your your prediction about where LeBron ends up, I agree. He's definitely coming back to Miami. I don't blame him for not taking a pay cut because he's the only one that did anything. But Wade and Bosh both are and it also sounds like they were at least interested in Lowry (he just agreed to a contract with the Raptors) as well as Gortat and a few other free agent options. Riley will have room and flexibility to add talent. Further, they already upgraded the PG position by drafting Napier.

 

[BradyManny]

You guys wouldn't be interested in him coming to Boston though, right?

It'll never happen, but I'd take him. In the past, I would've stayed away. I thought he was all physical talent with lesser basketball skills, but he proved me wrong. He's changed his game, and he did well with what Miami had this year.

From a personality standpoint, the guy is kind of a DB, but at this point, I don't think he means to be. It's just who he is, and it's far more innocuous than a lot of the A-Holes in pro sports. I've mellowed on Lebron quite a bit, and gained more respect for his game in the last few years.

Don't get me wrong, wherever he signs, I will root against that team. And I do think he should sign back up with Miami if he's concerned with his legacy. He doesn't want to be viewed as a mercenary. If he signs somewhere else, to me he all but guarantees he'll never be in Jordan's category. The two eras of basketball will be so incomparable that whatever he achieves won't have any meaning vs. what Jordan did in Chicago.

 

[Kontradiction]

It'll never happen, but I'd take him. In the past, I would've stayed away. I thought he was all physical talent with lesser basketball skills, but he proved me wrong. He's changed his game, and he did well with what Miami had this year.

From a personality standpoint, the guy is kind of a DB, but at this point, I don't think he means to be. It's just who he is, and it's far more innocuous than a lot of the A-Holes in pro sports. I've mellowed on Lebron quite a bit, and gained more respect for his game in the last few years.

Don't get me wrong, wherever he signs, I will root against that team. And I do think he should sign back up with Miami if he's concerned with his legacy. He doesn't want to be viewed as a mercenary. If he signs somewhere else, to me he all but guarantees he'll never be in Jordan's category. The two eras of basketball will be so incomparable that whatever he achieves won't have any meaning vs. what Jordan did in Chicago.

Agreed with all of this. If LeBron moves on to, say, the Rockets, he'll simply be looked at as a whore that bolted when the going got tough. If he sticks it out with Miami and lets Riley do his thing to re-tool the team around him, he can cement his legacy. I don't think he'll ever be Jordan, but he can certainly be in the conversation.

 

[captain stone]

Looks like LBJ is returning to Cleveland, thanks to the Cs trade exception,
according to the 4-letter network.

 

[joepatsfan]

New LBJ odds:
CLE 60%
MIA 40%

Can't believe all that has transpired.

I will have alot more respect for LBJ if he returns to CLE. He will go home and attempt to make things right. I still will hate him, but I will have a lot more respect for him.

What a story if he does go back

 

[rochrist]

Looks like LBJ is returning to Cleveland, thanks to the Cs trade exception,
according to the 4-letter network.

That was a great trade for the Cs. They get a shooter they can flip to someone at the trade deadline to knock off 9 mil in salary, a legitimate center (although he may end up a serviceable backup) and yet another first rounder for a trade exception that was going to expire on Saturday.