Poll: Will LeBron James Return To Cavs In 2014?
Anyone who has either visited Miami or has the good fortune of living there knows that it's the kind of place that you don't want to leave. Fantastic weather, Cuban sandwiches, pretty girls, the ability to wear an abundance of white without getting made fun of – Miami has it all. LeBron James has gotten to toss the Labor Day rule to the wayside while enjoying all of the roast pork he could ever want for two years and change while being at the center of one of the league's most dominant teams. It's inconceivable to some that James would leave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by opting out after the 2013/14 season, yet some league executives and agents are absolutely convinced that he will use the opportunity to make a face turn and reverse the infamous "Decision" by returning to Cleveland in that summer.
On the surface, it seems incredibly unlikely that James would walk away from one of the strongest teams in the NBA in order to join forces with a team that still may be under construction in 18 months, even with a blossoming superstar in Kyrie Irving. And while some superteams have reportedly dealt with locker room drama (we're looking at you, Dwight and Kobe), the Heat have by and large stayed as a cohesive unit and found enough shots for everyone.
On the other hand, we already know that LeBron doesn't have any reservations about following his heart and changing zip codes if he feels that it's the best move to make. When LeBron is faced with the first of his two-opt out years with Miami, he'll be closing in on his 30th birthday and hearing the chatter about his legacy and place amongst the all-time greats more than ever. Winning a title with a Cavs team that likely won't have the same top-heavy roster as the Heat would be a massive plus for his resume. Nuggets coach George Karl is a believer. Are you?
Will LeBron Return To Cleveland?
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No 64% (1,409)
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Yes 36% (787)
Total votes: 2,196
Cavs Want 2014 Max Player, Possibly LeBron
Anderson Varejao is expected to be sidelined through the February 21st trade deadline, meaning that the standout forward likely will remain in Cleveland for the remainder of the year. The struggling Cavs could conceivably use other assets to get a healthy piece for the future, but Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that league executives and agents around the league are convinced the Cavaliers won’t do anything to jeopardize their ability to sign a free agent to a max contract in the summer after next season.
Of course, 2014 is the summer where LeBron James can again become a free agent if he exercises his player option. While it may seem farfetched for a number of reasons, more and more people around the league believe there is a strong possibility James will return to Cleveland after next season.
If the Cavs feel strongly about keeping their financial flexibility for that offseason, then they won’t pull the trigger on any players with three-year deals. The Cavs may not be stacked with assets, but they do have Luke Walton’s $6MM expiring contract and about $10MM in cap space to dangle to teams looking to move long-term commitments. In a largely cap-conscious league, those two things could fetch a significant piece in a trade, but it sounds as though the Cavs are looking for something much bigger.
Eastern Notes: Bucks, Nets, Cavs, Oden
The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Sunday afternoon:
- Raptors head coach Dwane Casey tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he is not surprised that Scott Skiles was fired by the Bucks, noting the heavy turnover among coaches in recent years.
- Wes Szafran of the South Jersey Times writes that P.J. Carlesimo has done an excellent job since replacing Avery Johnson as head coach of the Nets.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert told fans to be patient with the team's rebuild in a recent television interview. Bob Finnan of the News-Herald has quotes.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer writes that Greg Oden deserves a chance to rehabilitate his NBA career, comparing his injury-plagued early years to those of former Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was able to put together a productive NBA career.
- Michael Lee of the Washington Post wonders if top overall draft picks are cursed, citing the recent injuries to John Wall and Kyrie Irving.
- Ryan Anderson tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that the Dwight Howard drama was a distraction for the Magic players last season.
Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Martin, Carlesimo
The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers e-mails from readers, most of them pertaining to possible Cavaliers trade chips like Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson.
- Discussions between the Knicks and Kenyon Martin's representative have not progressed, according to a tweet from ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling.
- The New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy writes about Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who has his team back on the right track since taking over for the fired Avery Johnson.
Eastern Notes: Pierce, Sixers, Bynum, Vogel
It’s more than reasonable for the Celtics to consider cashing out on an aging Paul Pierce for young assets to be used towards rebuilding, opines Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. In another season and a half, the veteran could retire or walk away from Boston with no compensation. His trade value may never be as high as it will be now through the 2013 draft, and this may be the time to act, according to Brigham. Here's more from around the Eastern Conference.
- Sixers GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that the team will try to stay in contention for a playoff spot until Andrew Bynum gets back, and may make short-term upgrades that don't cut into next summer's cap space.
- DiLeo also said the Sixers "are still looking at Andrew as a long-term solution," indicating they still plan on trying to re-sign him this summer.
- The extension Frank Vogel signed with the Pacers this week runs through 2014/15, and will pay the coach $2MM per season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- J.J. Redick doesn’t want to be traded away from the Magic, but after hearing from GM Rob Hennigan that several teams have expressed interest, he's girding himself for the possibility, writes John Denton of Magic.com.
- The Heat signed Josh Harrellson and Jarvis Varnado to ten-day contracts simply to stall for time until something better comes along, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Heat can get a better sense of what might be available to add at either the trading deadline or buyout deadline.
- Anderson Varejao's injury isn't devastating to his long-term trade value, as The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer examines.
Zach Links of Hoops Rumors also contributed to this post.
Luke Walton Considering Retirement
Luke Walton is set to face off against his former team when his Cavs take on the Lakers at the Staples Center on Sunday night. As he returns to his first NBA home arena, Walton tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports that he may call it quits at the end of the year.
“If my back feels good, I want to keep playing,” said Walton. “If my back goes out again, I’ll have to re-evaluate it at the end of the season and contemplate calling it a career. But right now the back is feeling good, so I’m just kind of enjoying playing again (and) being able to play basketball without pain for the first time in a long time.“
Walton is seeing just 14 minutes per contest for the Cavs this season and averaging 2.7 PPG. The Arizona product saw his minutes fluctuate in Los Angeles, but he was a key role player at times and put up 11.4 PPG in 33 minutes a night in 2006/07.
The forward is earning $6.091MM this year in the final season of a six-year, $30MM contract.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Wall, Pacers, Rose
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:
- Nuggets coach George Karl told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida that he wouldn't be surprised to see LeBron James return to the Cavaliers in the future.
- John Wall will return to action for the Wizards on Saturday.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that chemistry has trumped star power for the Pacers this season.
- Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reports that Derrick Rose is not rushing his rehab from knee surgery and doesn't know when he will return to the Bulls.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune talks to Hawks teammates Devin Harris and Kyle Korver about their time playing for the Jazz.
Greg Oden Rumors: Friday
8:13pm: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reports that several other teams in addition to the Mavericks are interested in possibly signing Oden. The Cavs, Hawks, and Grizzlies are rumored to have already conducted workouts with Oden, while the Bucks, Bulls, Spurs, and Warriors are also said to have interest.
3:15pm: When we heard yesterday that Greg Oden was aiming to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, the Heat were the only one of the big man's potential suitors identified. We can add another club to that list, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports the Mavericks have been in touch with agent Mike Conley Sr. to inquire on Oden.
Oden, who is taking classes at Ohio State, continues to recover from his third microfracture surgery, and isn't expected to be ready to return to action until the fall. However, yesterday's report suggested that there may be teams interested in signing the former first overall pick to a multiyear deal this season, to allow him to rehab under an NBA club's supervision. The Mavs could make a strong case to Oden, writes MacMahon, though he's unsure what sort of financial commitment the team would be willing to make to the oft-injured seven-footer.
As we heard this morning, Conley hinted that the Heat aren't necessarily the frontrunners for his client, and didn't rule out any clubs except for the Trail Blazers.
Latest On Trade Candidates From Reno
Marc Stein of ESPN.com attended the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada this week, where many NBA GMs and executives were present. He posted a roundup of trade-related chatter he heard during the event:
- The Raptors are making the hardest push for Rudy Gay, offering the Grizzlies a package that includes Jose Calderon and Ed Davis. Memphis is still undecided as to whether they will move Gay.
- There is a growing sense from front offices around the league that the Lakers will not ultimately trade Pau Gasol this season.
- Teams have continued to ask the Kings about DeMarcus Cousins, and were told that he is not available.
- A source told Stein that it is highly unlikely the Bucks will move Brandon Jennings before the end of the season.
- The Jazz are more likely to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, even though both are free agents this summer.
- The Hornets are not expected to trade Eric Gordon, despite previous rumors that he may be available.
- Despite his recent statement that he intends on staying retired, the Nets are still making a hard push to convince Phil Jackson to be their next head coach.
- Stein lists several players as having been made known to be available by their teams, including the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, the Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the Cavs' Omri Casspi, the Rockets' Cole Aldrich, and the Bucks' Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and Beno Udrih.
Odds & Ends: Redick, Turkoglu, Lakers, Livingston
Let's round up some Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Although J.J. Redick doesn't want to be traded by the Magic, he's not exactly thrilled with the team's 10-game losing streak, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets.
- Tomasson also spoke to Hedo Turkoglu, who said he's not actively trying to be bought out by the Magic, though he understands if the team decides to trade him.
- After telling Sheridan Hoops earlier this week that he doesn't expect to coach again, Phil Jackson reiterates the point to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), writing in an email that there's no chance he returns to the Lakers.
- A collection of SI.com writers discuss what's next for the Lakers, including potential pre-trade-deadline moves, and the team's chances of re-signing Dwight Howard this summer.
- Shaun Livingston tells Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld that he's hoping to stay with the Cavaliers for longer than just this season.
- Having recently parted ways with agent Joel Bell, Trail Blazers guard Nolan Smith has replaced him with former Bull B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- David Mayo of MLive.com explores whether the Pistons should attempt to trade for Rudy Gay, while multiple Celtics writers discuss whether Boston should take a flier on Greg Oden (link via CSNNE.com).
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford looks at some potential fits in June's draft for the Hornets.