Prediction: Lebron will leave Cleveland

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Prediction: Lebron will leave Cleveland 

Post#1 » by Nick Sigler » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:16 am

I've felt this for a while but after just watching his interview on TNT, it really confirmed it for me.

Why? LeBron is an unbelievable competitor and he wants to win as bad as just about anyone. He knows he's not going to get a ring with the team Cleveland has now. He's been hinting at this for a while, asking for help and saying the team could be a title contender if they added a player like Jason Kidd.

He IDOLIZES Kobe Bryant. Literally idolizes the guy, probably moreso than Kobe idolizes Michael Jordan. LeBron can barely do an interview anymore without making some kind of mention about Kobe in it.

Tonight on TNT he mentioned him at least three or four times, the most telling being when he was talking about how disappointed he'd be if Cleveland didn't make a move by the deadline, saying something to the effeect.."I saw what Kobe did when he spoke up and asked for help and he got Gasol and.. well, we just need to make a move, if we don't then you know we'll finish out these last 30 games with the team we have now and work hard."

Seems to be hinting, foreshadowing, IMO, that if they don't do something ASAP, he's going to pull a Kobe and demand a trade in the off-season, or basically give them a "make a major acquisition or I'm walking" ultimatum.

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Post#2 » by Philly Fresh » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:22 am

Cleveland has a 1 in 1,000,000 player but the organization isn't doing enough for him. Lebron is reeling in money, selling out crowds and getting attention world wide, but Cleavland doesn't seem to care. I guess you can say that Cleveland really has nothing to work via trading to get better. But was re-signing Varejao and Pavlovic really worth for what they bring? Cleveland should be looking to make big signing on big impact players, or AT LEAST surround Lebron with great shooters.
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Post#3 » by Gordon Bombay » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:26 am

exactly what do you want cleveland to do or who do you want them to trade?

until the offseason, they have no tradeable assets. theyll have 30+ mil in expirings in the offseason
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Post#4 » by Ballings7 » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:27 am

Cleveland's done a poor job getting a team around LeBron. Bunch of role-players and border-line 3rd options.

At least they've been good defensively, but not a respectable offensive team.
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Post#5 » by TheOUTLAW » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:28 am

here we go again
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Post#6 » by SHAQFORMVP » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:29 am

cleveland will get their player next year at the trade deadline or offseason. they have tons of contracts coming off the books that will be very attractive to different teams trying to unload salary. similiar to what the lakers did to get paul gasol :nod:
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Post#7 » by devwat12 » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:35 am

The Cavs have a ton of expirings next and no long term deals. They have plenty of flexibility to surround Lebron with more talent.

I think they pick up a player like Redd or Joe Johnson next season when a bad team is tired of forking over a max contract to a guy who can't get them into the playoffs. If the Lakers can get Gasol, the Cavs can definitely add a big piece.

Z, Varejao, Hughes, and Gibson provide a very solid supporting cast. They are just missing that 2nd scorer to help shoulder some of the scoring load. Once they get that, it's on.
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Post#8 » by Nick Sigler » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:36 am

Gordon Bombay wrote:exactly what do you want cleveland to do or who do you want them to trade?

until the offseason, they have no tradeable assets. theyll have 30+ mil in expirings in the offseason


It's not about what I want, it's about what LeBron wants and he's clearly not happy. We can debate back and forth about whether they have the proper bargaining chips but none of that is going to matter to LeBron if he sees more time pass without any help being added while his counterparts are getting superstar help.
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Post#9 » by JellosJigglin » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:38 am

It's tough. What pieces do they have to trade? They don't have any expiring contracts and the only young talent they have is Gibson (who is a good fit for Lebron).

Next season they have a bunch of big expirings though, so that is when they'll probably make a move. If they can't make anything happen next season, then yeah, Lebron will leave.

One thing Lebron should realize is the Lakers were good even before they got Gasol. Mitch Kupchack did a good job of rebuilding through the draft (Bynum, Farmar, Turiaf, Walton, Vujacic, Crittenton) and picking up small role players either by signing them or via trade (Radmanovic, Ariza, Fisher). Gasol is just the guy that gets them from "possible" contender to contender, which is probably the biggest leap to make.

Cleveland has a ways to go, which is crazy to say about a team that is fresh off a visit to the Finals. That says more about the discrepancy between East and West though. It seems to me like they still have a lot of work to do before making that big leap into the upper echelon.

So yes, I see him leaving. I don't think it will be the Lakers, because they may already have a championship or two by then. Maybe Chicago or Brooklyn. It would be sweet if he didn't mind playing with Kobe though :D. He and Bynum for the next 10 years. It'd be over for the rest of the league :D
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Post#10 » by Seattlesun » Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:40 am

Gordon Bombay wrote:exactly what do you want cleveland to do or who do you want them to trade?

until the offseason, they have no tradeable assets. theyll have 30+ mil in expirings in the offseason


if this is really the case then the cavs are doing a great job of building around lebron. he is still young and now they have fiscal responsbility and flexibity? thats excellent team management in the NBA.
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Post#11 » by Patterns » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:44 am

I am pretty damn sure that Lebron will leave Cleveland just like how Shaq left Orlando.

I bet you he'll get the most ludicrous contract ever in the NBA.
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Post#12 » by farzi » Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:45 am

Who has cap space that year?
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Post#13 » by Gordon Bombay » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:03 am

his two most likely destinations would be either new york or brooklyn and at this point neither one of those teams have it as lebron could get 25 million from the cavs. nets will still have carter and jefferson on the books for 32 million not to mention im pretty sure they want to keep both williams' and boone so that will drive up their cap even more. and the knicks already have like 45 million tied (technically only 28 but i dont see jeffries or curry not picking up their player options). the bulls would only be able to if they decide against signing every young player they have. now the clippers could make a serious run at him but i just dont think lebron would want to go to the second rate la team - if hes going to la, he would want the lakers and they wouldnt have the capspace to do so. miami could but if they re-sign marion, they would pretty much be out.

now i guess lebron could sign a below-market deal with either one of the two new york teams because he supposedly has a escalator clauses in his nike contract that pays him more for being in a big city (i dont know if i buy that, because he signed a 90 mil deal with the swoosh right out of hs when they knew he was going to cleveland. i dont know how much more nike was willing to commit to him seeing as they gave him the richest shoe deal ever just to sign with the cavs...it could be there, but i guess im just skeptical of one)

the cba will change before he signs the next contract, so maybe something will come of that but as of right now, the cavs could pay him so much more than any of their closest competitors (and he would be the first to pass up a max deal)
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Post#14 » by Buckeye-NBAFan » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:06 am

Who could be moved for salary cap relief in 2009? If Larry Hughes keeps playing the way he is right now though, his expiring contract won't be worth more than his contributions on the floor. Maybe Milwaukee will want to work out a deal to move Redd to Cleveland for expirings and picks, lol. Perhaps a Miller + Dalembert combo for expirings and picks. Jermaine O'Neal for Gooden/Snow/Marshall and picks.. But I doubt any of those guys would be given away for as cheaply as the Lakers got Gasol.
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Post#15 » by farzi » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:08 am

Oh its 09? Portland, Minnesota, Seattle, and Sacramento will all have pretty good cap space that year if rosters stay the same.

99.9% chance it WON'T happen, but

Roy
Fernandez
James
Aldridge
Oden

I'm down.
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Post#16 » by Gordon Bombay » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:15 am

i guess if he does decide to leave (which i dont think he will), he would only go to a big city

and alot will change when the cba changes which is why lebron only took the 3 year extension when he did (because with a new cba, lebron can get a 6 year 150 mil extension from cleveland, i dont know what that would mean for other teams trying to sign him
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Post#17 » by tyguy » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:18 am

Like what has already been stated, the cavs have 30+ million dollars in expiring trade assets plus draft picks. This unfortunately isnt the year to add talent but Lebrons deal doesnt kick in till next season.

He isnt going anywhere, so people should stop speculating, drooling and coming up with their fantasy starting 5 for their favorite team.

Superstars dont sign with other teams, they get traded and thats because their home team can give them the most money.

If next tradeline comes and goes without adding anything, then the team can start to worry. Its getting rather old with these stupid predictions because people dont like that he plays for Cleveland. His new contract hasnt even kicked in yet and people are already speculating that he will go elsewhere... Dream on day dreamers.
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Post#18 » by Gordon Bombay » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:20 am

it kicked in this year and runs til 2010^^^
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Post#19 » by B Mac » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:20 am

The only problem with these theories is NO ONE can offer him more than what the Cavs will be able to. If he wants the biggest contract he can get, he wont be leaving Cleveland.

Also Marshall, Snow, D. Jones, Gooden, Varejao (P.O likely to use), and Pavlovic (Partially Guarenteed) might not look like a lot now, but next year they are all expiring. That is an absolutely crazy amount of expiring deals. Even Z might expire that year as he has a player option and might look to retire. Thats a possibility of around 46 million in expirings! :o Plus Newble, S. Brown, D. Brown, D. Gibson and Dw. Jones all come off the books this year. LeBron will get that second star around him within a year, and with 46 million in expirings he might be able to get more than one. He already took the team you are all beating down on to the Finals last year, add another top of the line player or two??? Its over.

Things are only looking up in Cleveland.
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Post#20 » by L&H_05 » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:28 am

I kinda liked it better when we sucked anyways...

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