During their first round of trade talks leading up to the deadline, the Cavaliers’ front office was opposed in some discussions to taking on future salary, multiple league executives tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. However, the deals that Cleveland ultimately completed saw the team take on significant multiyear commitments — George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance will earn a combined $33.77MM in 2018/19, while Rodney Hood will be in line for a raise via restricted free agency.
As Windhorst details, the Cavs’ overall team salary and projected tax payments for next season will hinge on whether Hood is re-signed and – of course – on whether LeBron James returns. But if the club brings back both of those players, its total bill for 2018/19 could exceed $300MM, according to Windhorst, whose projections include a $12MM salary for Hood and a $4.4MM salary for the player selected with the Nets’ pick, currently set to be No. 7.
A lot could change between now and next season — not only do we not know exactly what the Cavs’ roster will look like, but the salary cap and luxury tax lines for next season won’t be set until the summer. Still, there are certain scenarios in which Cleveland’s 2018/19 roster could be its most expensive squad yet.
Here’s more on the Cavs, including a couple more tidbits from Windhorst’s piece:
- As they evaluated the Cavs’ deadline deals, some rival executives believed that preparing for James’ departure was a motivating factor, says Windhorst. Keeping the Nets pick and taking on some younger talent that can be retained beyond 2017/18 set Cleveland up for LeBron’s possible departure, and ownership wouldn’t have to break the bank in that scenario. However, multiple Cavs executives insist that’s not Plan A, telling Windhorst that owner Dan Gilbert remains committed to paying the necessary cost to win.
- Following Cleveland’s Tuesday win over the Thunder, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, that the Cavs’ new additions have been better than he expected. “It’s changed our team, and we’re a lot faster,” Lue said. “Now I think we’ve got a chance to switch a lot of things with our size and our length. We can switch stuff defensively. I thought it would be a process; it’s still going to be a process. … But they exceeded my expectations.”
- James was a member of a “Big Three” for several years in Miami, then again in Cleveland. When they traded Kyrie Irving last offseason, the Cavaliers looked to acquire a player capable of slotting into a “Big Three” spot alongside LeBron and Kevin Love, but Isaiah Thomas didn’t live up to that billing. Now, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs’ latest moves have James adjusting to life without a Big Three.
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If you are the Cavs you do absolutely everything to move into the top 5 to draft Trae Young and keep Lebron James in Cleveland. I really don’t see the man declining much over the next 3 seasons, you draft Trae Young and Lebron James will sign immediately period. Lebron will leave depending on who the Cavs draft, if the Cavs can get Doncic,Ayton,Trae, or Porter Jr it would be unbelievable tough to leave Cleveland if you ask me.
They have won 2 games in a row with the new players and 4 overall, lets not crown then conference champs just yet. Even with their new additions, I don’t see them beat GS or HOU.
Exactly!
Well they did blow out the team that is their main competition for the eastern conference by 20 points 2 days after have a 10 player roster change.
The actual players salaries (estimated) for next season are on ESPN.com today. They are based on LeBron opting in. If he signs for max it’ll be considerably more than the $300 million listed.
Trae young may no olnger be the POY. Oklahoma has lost 7 of it’s last 9 games and Young has missed 18 of his last 19 3 pointers including 0-9 in loss to Texas Tech. They say Iowa State figured him out.
That’s no longer.
LeBron’s player option IS his current max. Only way he could sign for more is if the salary cap for next season ends up being about $101.74MM (or higher). It’s currently not projected to be that high.
Cleveland.com said LeBron could sign a 5 year $50 million contract. How would that work? ESPN says league executives believe LeBron will leave because of salaries. Are you allowed to give your opinion?
I trust your opinion a lot more than Brian Windhorts, Ramona Shelbourne (LaVar kicked her and Goodman out of Lithuania), or Woji’s. I know you get stuff from them, but I think you are a lot smarter. Thanks for all the info.
Not to bash Luke because he is great, but when it comes to the NBA Woj is as good and reliable as it gets. He’s basically the Adam Schefter of the NBA, and Schefter is considered the best source of all NFL related news. When it comes to LeBron, Windhorst is as good as it gets because he’s been following and covering him since he was a teenager and has really followed him all around (Cleveland, Miami, and back to Cleveland). He’s also a pretty fair opinion on LeBron as he isn’t obviously biased for or against LeBron and tends to praise and criticize him pretty evenly.
I’m a Chris Broussard guy (he’s from Akron, wish ESPN would have kept him, he’s on Fox now). I’ll stick with Luke. I’ve never seen him wrong.
So, in LeBron’s case, his absolute maximum salary next season would be the highest of:
1. His player option value;
2. 35% of the salary cap; or
3. 105% of his previous salary.
Based on the latest projection of a $101MM cap for next year, 35% of that would be $35.35MM, so he’d technically be better off taking his $35.6MM option (though the difference is marginal enough that it might not matter).
I don’t see any way he could get close to $50MM per year though. A five-year deal would get him up to $47MM by the final year, assuming max raises. He’d be earning about $41MM per year overall on a five-year max.
Regarding your other questions: The Cavs would also have the ability to offer more years and money than any other team — the only thing stopping them would be possible tax concerns. As for how he could get to Houston, he’d probably have to pick up his option and get the Cavs and Rockets to agree to a trade, like Chris Paul did last summer. Hard to see any other realistic path unless he’s willing to take a big discount (which, based on what he has said in the past, he’s not).
I’m conflicted on how I feel about Trae Young. On one hand, he has Steph Curry-esque potential (not saying he will be Curry, but his play has to remind you of Curry). On the other, he seems to take too many bad shots and be too careless with the ball. Maybe that’s on the coaching staff and teammates for trying to force Young to do too much but there have been other highly regarded college guys who were options 1, 2, and 3 for their team and didn’t seem to play as inconsistent as Young does. Buyer beware on him.
The Pacers have a Big Three. They have Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, and Bojan Bogdonavich. The Cavs salary is twice the Pacers salary this season and could be well more than 3 times next season. The Pacers are winning too. They are 2 games behind the Cavs. Pacers owner Herb Simon told Kevin Pritchard he will exceed the salary cap only if he is “guaranteed” to go deep into the playoffs. He wouldn’t do it for Paul George.
You call that a big 3? My god.
Pacers are playing to be competitive, not win championships! Our Big 3 is great to us Oladipo, Turner, and take your pick. And we save a lot of money! 4 likes 94 dislikes!! Cmon Dionos Beatos
There’s no award for spending the least amount of money
What will you do post LeBron? It will happen eventually. Don’t you remember post LeBron the first time? American businesses are built on spending the least amount of money to make the most, the stock exchange included. The award is called retirement.
$300MM++ to listen to LeBron whine and complain all season long? Gilbert’s clearly a patient man. I would have told LeBaby where he can stick it last year.
I mean its easy to say that when you’re not the owner of a sports team that is expecting to compete for championships. Good luck being an owner and explaining to your fan base why you let a top 2-3 player in the league walk when you are trying to compete for championships.
The Cavs will be over cap without LeBron. It’ll be interesting. Are any other owners willing to pony up money for LeBron. Shaq wants LeBron in Golden State. Would LeBron take a team discount? I “think” it would take a sign and trade (am I right Luke Adams?) for LeBron to go to Houston. Would Ryan Anderson have to be involved?
It definitely will be interesting, but Dan Gilbert has to know that Cleveland’s championship aspirations are 100% dependent on LeBron. The team is a mess cap wise, but letting LeBron walk isn’t fixing that. Of the remaining pieces with a significant cap hit, only Love would figure to draw significant interest. Assuming both continue to play decently, there should be some interest in Korver and Clarkson but teams won’t be rushing to trade for them and would likely ask Cleveland to take back another contract. Doubt Hill, TT, or Smith are able to be moved without parting with a major asset.
If LeBron expresses no interest in going back, then no sweat off of Gilbert’s back. But if LeBron says he wants to go back to Cleveland and Gilbert basically says “No”, he’ll lose most of the fan base. Granted most of the fan base will leave if LeBron leaves anyway, and most of the rest won’t understand the financial ramifications of resigning LeBron, but if LeBron is willing to come back at a reasonable rate it would be a PR mess if Gilbert passed.
What I do see is LeBron staying for 1 more year and then if Love leaves, LeBron will too. Like they’ve been saying until the contracts signed in 2016 fall off, teams won’t have money. Gilbert paying $159 million in luxury tax is no guarantee. Until now the Cavs $55 million is the highest that’s ever been payed. And like the Pacers. They still have their fan base after Paul George. They are playing to be competitive, have their fan base, and are making money.
I don’t know if Clarkson can be numbered in the ‘big x’ category yet, but he seems willing to go for it.
I think James just needs someone to take the reins occasionally, without blowing it, so that he can take the mid-size player’s liberty to lurk.
LJ may have had his fill of too many alpha dogs on the team– just in time for planning the big 5-year contract!
JClarkson might be the ideal PG for him, because he does not need LJ to operate, nor does he have to have the ball. When he has it, he can cruise around like Deron did, then penetrate like DW did not.