Lebron to consider signing extension this summer??

[Da_James_Gang]

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.s ... s_bri.html

The summer of 2010 is indeed shaping up to be a wild one the NBA free-agent scene.

But there's a chance LeBron James may just skip the party.

James said Saturday that he is going to consider signing an extension with the Cavaliers this summer, well before he can become an unrestricted free agent.

"You play out this season of course; I will consider it," James said Saturday before the Cavs practiced at the Pepsi Center.

"The direction we are headed is everything I expected and more."

Its good to hear, but we will see what happens. If we won the title this year it could become more and more likely imo.

[TheOUTLAW]

It won't happen since LeBron can get way more money once he's reached his 7th season in the league but I do like hearing a more positive viewpoint on his contract situation.

[rjgraca]

Nice to read and I bet this doesn't make RealGM's wiretap either.

[TheOUTLAW]

C'mon RJ of course it won't make the wiretap.

[Rise Against]

Waiting for the Knicks fans to come and say LeBron will still head to New York.

[Icness]

Of course he's going to consider it, he'd be a fool not to. But IMO he's just throwing a bone to the local fans and publicly showing confidence in his teammates that he believes they can win the next two NBA titles before he goes anywhere, if he goes at all.

Surprised that it did make the wiretap, and more surprised at the comments on the Gen Board essentially taunting the Knicks sycophants.

[B Mac]

Shocked this made the wiretap. Props to whoever is in charge of that for having the guts to finally put something like this in there.

[Uncooked]

He's just saying it to make us and the Cleveland reporters happy, no way in hell is he going to sign the extension.

[Mr2400]

i doubt he signs the extension this summer. he's smart enough to know that he's better off seeing how the next two years work out with the team, and how the free agency/trade market goes. even in 2010 he'll probably wait to see who goes where before he makes his final choice. saying this was probably more of a counteractive measure against all the mumbo jumbo before about new york.

[eyejayem]

He signs if Bosh demands a trade to Clev this year, and even then he may wait til next year for more money.

[heathmalc]

Well, signing the extension wont really hurt him. He would only lose about a million dollars... not very much considering what he makes. The difference in his raise is only 5%.

In-addition, he could sign a 3 year extension, and make the last year an option. Essentially, that allows him to finish this contract, play the first year of his extension, then sign yet another extension, with the full 30% raises. So he actually would lose a total of approximately $3million dollars. However, he would be making it MUCH easier for the Cavaliers to sign/acquire another major player.

From a business stand-point, it makes sense to sign such a contract.... follow what I am saying:

Say LeBron doesn't sign, but does opt out in 2010, as most people expect. The Cavaliers woud not be able to make ANY moves until they sign LeBron, Zydrunas, Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavloviv, JJ Hickson. Those players would have cap-holds of about 54 million dollars.

In-Addition, the Cavaliers will have about 28 million committed to the 2010 Salary cap already, assuming they sign Andy for around 8 million per. This does not even include a player that we may acquire with Wally's contract, that may further eat into that cap-space. For the sake of argument, lets say we trade Wally for 2 players, both making 7.5 million... one with a 1 yr contract, 1 with a 4 year contract. That means our cap is now at about 36 million of an estimated 70 million cap.

We want to keep JJ, so lets say he is a rotation guy...but not a star. Say he signs for 5 million per. Say we re-sign Z for a HUGE bargain of 5 million per for 3 years. That puts us at 46 million.

Add-in our draft-picks from next year, and we are at 48 million. Add the picks from 2010, and we are at 50 million.

Lets say we release the rights to Ben Wallace, Kinsey,Jawad Williams, The FA we sign to replace Wright, and we re-sign Sasha for the exact same amount that we signed him for last year... Now our cap is sitting at 55 million, plus a 21 million hold for LeBron's max contract (30% of total cap). This means we cannot sign a player until LeBron id signed. We sign him, and we are not only over the salary cap... but we still have 2 roster places to fill, because we would only have 11 players signed (including that year's draft picks).

Now... say LeBron signs the extension this summer. The dynamics of the front-office dealings change DRAMATICALLY!!!

Because LeBron signs, and we know we will have no cap space, we use our budding rookie (JJ or Darnell) plus whoever we pick next year, and/or 2010 for a sign & Trade for Chris Bosh... or another superstar who wants to join us.

Are you following the idea behind this? If LeBron waits to sign till 2010... we have little shot to get Bosh, or another player...as the Cavaliers will not be able to commit to things without knowing what LeBron is doing. If LeBron is already signed, then they may just trade Ben Wallace, Hickson, next summer's pick and a couple more picks for Bosh - or another player... and if Toronto isnt playing ball, then we wait for the summer of 2010, where Bosh can essentially go where-ever he wants...even Cleveland, though we will have no cap-space. Because Colangelo will want to get what he can for Bosh... and if Bosh wants to come to Cleveland, then he can force them to do it. So.... If Bryan Colangelo knows by next August that Bosh is not coming back, he is 100% more likely to trade him BEFORE the deadline, while he still can play a little hardball...even if it is mostly a bluff...he will get a lot more for him than if he waits until 2010, when he wont get much anything.

As for the little money LeBron will lose in his contract... he'll make it up in endorsement money, because he is a 3-time defending NBA Champion, and he will command even MORE money!

That is a SOLID business decision.

If you are from New York... you can argue this strategy all you want...but the fact is this: If the Cavs are this good now, and dominating at this rate already... how good will they be with a Chris Bosh added to the fold? How good will they be with the added chips from the Wally Trade?

Yes, New York is playing exciting basketball with a good coach... but they are not even close to being a dominating team. LeBron already has a Dominating team, and he can pretty much guarantee himself Chris Bosh playing beside him in Cleveland.