Lebron James Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pat Riley On Stars, LeBron, Bosh, Playoffs

March 12th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Chuck Myron

The choice LeBron James made to rejoin the Cavaliers this summer “just crushed us,” Heat team president Pat Riley told Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick, but the Hall-of-Famer remains confident that he can build another championship team in Miami. He acquired quite possibly the best player dealt at the trade deadline, swinging a deal for Goran Dragic, but he did so having already learned of Chris Bosh‘s pulmonary blood clots that ended his season, as Riley revealed to Skolnick. Riley feels as though he was a better coach than he is an executive, but with his 70th birthday coming later this month, he made it clear that he has no desire to coach again, as Skolnick relays. Retirement from the front office crossed his mind while LeBron was still with the team, but it isn’t a consideration now, Riley told Skolnick, though he also indicated during the interview that he’ll probably retire right after he wins his next championship.

Skolnick’s entire piece provides a broad sketch of Riley, dating back to his humble NBA beginnings in the 1960s. It’s worth a full read, but we’ll pass along a few notable quotations from Riley about current-day Heat issues:

On his philosophy of attracting established stars:

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be able to see what it takes. If you can get three of those kinds of players and fill it out with some other good guys, then you might be ahead of the curve. … So there are a lot of ways to skin a cat. For me, it’s not through the draft, because lottery picks are living a life of misery. That season is miserable. And if you do three or four years in a row to get lottery picks, then I’m in an insane asylum. And the fans will be, too. So who wants to do that?”

On LeBron’s departure:

“That was almost shocking to me that the players would allow that to happen. And I’m not just saying LeBron. I mean, the players, themselves, would allow them to get to a state where a guy would want to go home or whatever it is. So maybe I’m dealing with a contemporary attitude today of, ‘Well, I got four years here, and I think I’ll go up there for whatever reason I went.’ You know, the whole ‘home’ thing, I understand that. But what he had here, and what he had developed here, and what he could have developed over the next five or six years here, with the same team, could have been historic.”

On the Heat’s post-LeBron plans:

“Our plan was always to move to great as quick as we could, past good. And I think that was more disappointing than anything, once we made that deal, to see what happened to Chris, which was devastating to me just from a personal standpoint. For his health. But also for the team, it was another hit. That’s why it would be so great for this team, we’re in this race here, if somehow we could get into the playoffs and make something of it. But I do think we have enough, in that in any series with anybody in the East, with what’s going on in the East, that you never know. And I love that.”

Pacific Notes: Knight, Perkins, Kerr

February 25th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Suns were already planning to a hard push for Brandon Knight in free agency before they traded for him at last week’s deadline, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who writes amid a chat with readers. Phoenix was willing to trade the rights to the Lakers’ top-five protected first-round pick to Milwaukee for Knight, but the Bucks decided instead to take a package that included Michael Carter-Williams from the Sixers in what ended up a three-way deal, Ford adds.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

It was tough for Kendrick Perkins to turn down former coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers, but a pitch from LeBron James was too tempting to pass up, notes Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “He was real honest with me,” Perkins said of Rivers. “He told me, ‘I think your best two situations right now is either us or Cleveland.’ So I was like, ‘Doc? Or I have a chance to go play with The King [LeBron James]. Doc? The King? Uh, I choose The King.”
New Kings assistant coach Vance Walberg is being counted on to bring creativity to Sacramento’s offense, which is something the team was looking for when it fired former coach Mike Malone, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes.
The hiring of Steve Kerr as coach was the final ingredient needed to change the Warriors from a one-and-done playoff team into a title contender, Chris Ballard of SI.com writes. Ballard also runs down how GM Bob Myers constructed the rest of the team’s roster, which is currently an NBA best 44-10.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: James, D-League, Cousins

February 14th, 2015 at 5:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

LeBron James being elected as the vice president of the NBPA means that the union will have another strong voice at the negotiating table, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. A person close to James said that LeBron felt compelled to serve in this role at a crucial and exciting time for the league and its players, Zillgitt notes. James had considered running for NBPA president in the past, the post Chris Paul now occupies, but James had decided that he did not have the necessary free time to devote that the job required, the USA Today scribe adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is glad to finally have some stability regarding Sacramento’s coaching situation now that George Karl has been inked to a four-year deal to coach the team, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a coach longer than a year and half maybe,” Cousins said. “It feels good to know I have one for the long haul.“
Gino Pilato of D-League Digest ran down how the NBA affiliate players have performed thus far in the D-League this season. A number of the players whom Pilato lists could be in line for a 10-day contract from an NBA team this season.
With the Chinese Basketball Association’s regular season completed, a number of notable players will now be eligible to return to the NBA. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders runs down some of the more intriguing names who could be difference-makers for teams down the stretch, including Will Bynum, Michael Beasley, Earl Clark, Jordan Crawford, and Al Harrington.

Eastern Notes: James, Millsap, Allen

February 13th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cavs superstar LeBron James has been elected as the vice president of the NBPA, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). Chris Paul, the NBPA president, has been pushing for James to join him as the No. 2 man in the player’s union for some time now, Wojnarowski adds. The announcement of James’ election was soon overshadowed by the reports that the NBPA had voted to reject the league’s salary cap smoothing proposal for 2016. This news sets the stage for a potential lockout in 2017, when both the league and the union can opt out of the current CBA, though that is merely my speculation.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Paul Millsap said that the support he has received from Hawks fans and the community in Atlanta would not factor into his decision-making when he becomes a free agent this summer, Nick Powell of NJ.com relays. “It’s a good thing, but I’m not one to base my decision off emotions,” Millsap said. “I base my decisions off of everything else. Where our team is at, can I grow with this team, how’s the coach, how’s the community? There’s a lot of things that factor into it besides emotions.” When asked his feelings about potentially playing in New York, Millsap said, “It’s a good place. I consider myself a guy who could fit in anywhere.“
When Patrick Beverley was asked about potentially joining the Knicks as a free agent this summer, he stated that his first desire was to remain in Houston, Powell adds. “That’s not up to me, that’s up to my agent and stuff like that,” Beverley said. “I’m extremely happy with Houston, that’s one of the teams that kind of took a chance on me for me getting to the NBA, but at the end of the day this is a business, and I’ll let my agent handle that.” Beverly will become a restricted free agent at season’s end.
Though the Heat were indeed in contact with free agent Ray Allen last summer, the team never made a contract offer to the veteran guard, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.

Central Notes: Monroe, LeBron, Haywood, Allen

February 13th, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy insists that the Pistons won’t trade Greg Monroe, citing his hope that the big man will re-sign this summer as well as the team’s playoff chase, as Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News observes. Monroe has a de facto no-trade clause and agent David Falk has said he doesn’t want to be dealt.

“It’s not gonna happen,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t know where Greg’s head will be in the offseason, but we’re still hopeful of Greg Monroe for the long term. And with him going into free agency, you won’t get a lot, maybe a pick. I’m not gonna walk in that locker room and give up a piece like that and then tell the guys we’re trying to make the playoffs. They deserve the chance to ride this out. You never say never to anything, but I can tell you about 99.9%, Greg Monroe’s not going anywhere.”

The Lakers reportedly asked the Pistons about Monroe earlier this month, but it seems like their chance to nab him won’t come until the summer, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. There’s more on the Pistons amid the latest from around the Central Division:

Van Gundy also said that he won’t trade a first-round pick but is willing to take on a short-term salary dump from another team, Wojnowski notes in the same piece.
LeBron James expressed fondness for Madison Square Garden today while speaking to reporters for All-Star weekend, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter link). Still, it’d be a stretch to suggest that the Cavs star, who has a player option for next season, has any interest in playing for the Knicks. “If I could have 82 regular season games anywhere they’d be at Madison Square Garden, because it’s the mecca of basketball,” James said.
The Cavs believe Brendan Haywood is “done” as an on-court contributor, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes in his Final Thoughts column. Of course, Haywood continues to have value thanks to his unique contract, and the Cavs are reportedly shopping him in advance of the deadline.
The Bulls seem like a less likely contender for Ray Allen than they had been, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com opines in his latest mailbag column.

Cavs Notes: James, Harris, Allen

February 12th, 2015 at 8:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James‘ decision last summer to sign a two-year contract with a player option after this season was not only motivated by the ability to take advantage of the rising salary cap and make a higher salary but also to give him maximum leverage, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes. Shelburne adds that James and NBPA president Chris Paul will encourage their membership to fight for more flexible contract structures and a greater piece of the league revenue pie when the players union can opt out of the current CBA in 2017. Here’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavaliers have re-assigned Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This is the sixth trek of the season to Canton for Harris, who has appeared in six games for the Charge this season, averaging 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.
Cleveland has been in contact with free agent Ray Allen‘s representatives in recent days, but the veteran guard has still not made a decision on where, or if, he will play this season, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal reports.
James feels a sense of urgency to win a championship this season even though he and Kevin Love, who can opt out of his deal after the season, are expected to remain with the club long-term, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. The facts that James has hit the age of 30 and has logged more than 41,500 minutes in his career also figure into his thinking.

LeBron Likely To Opt Out, Sign Two-Year Deal

February 10th, 2015 at 9:16am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James is “widely expected” to opt out of his contract this summer and sign a new contract that covers two years with a player option for the final season, just like the one he signed this past offseason, writes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. It’ll almost certainly be another maximum-salary arrangement with the Cavs, as James made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Cleveland again. James is intent on making the “appropriate business decision”, even if it means changing teams this summer, as Northeast Ohio Media Group scribe Chris Haynes heard in December. However, James has said on multiple occasions that he signed his existing short-term deal to maximize his earnings and not to set up an early exit from the Cavs.

Vardon estimates that the maximum salary for a player with 10 or more years of experience, like James, will swell to about $23MM next season. That would give James roughly $1.5MM more than he’d make on his option, which is worth about $21.573MM. Regardless of where the league sets the maximum salary, which won’t be determined until July, James can sign for up to 105% of his approximately $20.644MM salary from this season. The value of the player option is 104.5% of his salary this year, so as long as James is in line to command the maximum salary, as he assuredly will be, opting out will be the wise financial play.

It also makes financial sense for James to sign another short-term deal. The Cavs will only have his Non-Bird rights this summer, so the second season of his deal could again represent no more than 104.5% of the salary in the first year of the contract. Plus, most league executives assume the salary cap will zoom to around $90MM for 2016/17, and that would send maximum salaries skyrocketing with it. So, the ability to once more hit the market and reap part of the influx of the league’s new television deal is surely enticing for the Rich Paul client.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com first wrote in July that James would probably continue to sign short-term deals. Inking another two-year pact with a player option, as Vardon pegs him likely to do, would give James the greatest amount of guaranteed money possible while still allowing him the chance to hit free agency again in 2016. Contracts signed under the most recent collective bargaining agreement can only contain one option year, unlike the deal that James signed with the Heat, which contained two options.

The ability for James to leave so soon has made the Cavs a “little uncomfortable”, Windhorst wrote in October, even though it seems highly unlikely he leaves. Another short term deal would keep pressure on the Cavs front office to cater to James, who, as Vardon points out, wants the team to keep spending to maintain a championship-caliber roster. Still, given the backlash James would engender if he were to once more desert Cleveland, the pressure on GM David Griffin and company might be overstated.

Eastern Notes: Whiteside, Cavs, Barac

February 4th, 2015 at 8:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Heat center Hassan Whiteside had worked out for the Wolves back in 2012 after being released by the Kings. But Minnesota chose not to sign the big man, who is having a breakout season in Miami, due to reported maturity issues, something that Whiteside has overcome, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald writes. “He fell through the cracks as much as anything because of whether it was people questioned his work ethic, they questioned him off the court in some situations and they questioned his discipline,” Minnesota’s president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. “He has matured. Sometimes young players, when he came out he rose so fast at Marshall, sometimes what happens is they’re not ready for that, they’re not ready for the NBA and everything that comes with it, and they think once they’re there everything is going to fall into place. So, I think more than anything he has matured and he has paid dues.”

Here’s more from the East:

LeBron James said that he would be willing to come off of the bench if it would help the Cavs continue to win, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes. “It’s about a team and how we all fit together, how the five guys on the court fit together, how the eight guys or 10 guys on the bench all help the guys that are on the floor and so on and so on,” James said. “So, sacrifice is the biggest word in team sports, but it’s not about saying it. It’s about doing it, as well. It’s about living it.“
Cavs coach David Blatt downplayed Kevin Love‘s recent struggles and called attention to the contributions Love provides that don’t make it into the box score, McMenamin adds. “I think Kevin is very much in the flow of the game and is playing both ends of the court,” Blatt said. “The last thing I really worry about with Kevin Love is if he is going to score. He’s a proven scorer in this league and a proven high-level scorer. And he’s helping the team win. He’s playing to win and that’s really what both concerns me and what impresses me about him, is he’s been willing to do whatever it takes to help us win and that’s what we want.“
Pacers draft-and-stash prospect Stanko Barac, whom the team was reportedly looking to sign to a deal, won’t be able to leave Cedevita Zagreb until this summer, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com reports. Barac’s contract doesn’t contain a NBA out clause, which will prevent the 7’2″ Croatian from joining Indiana this season, Sierra notes.

Cavs Notes: Blatt, Love, LeBron, Mozgov

January 12th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Cavs coach David Blatt didn’t rule out the notion of LeBron James returning to action for Tuesday’s game, notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), but Blatt drew more attention for a comment he made about one of the team’s other stars. Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group pointed out after the Cavs lost in blowout fashion Sunday to the Kings that though the team didn’t have James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were players who’d signed maximum-salary deals who took part in the contest. “Kev’s not a max player yet, is he?” Blatt rejoined. It’s true that Love signed for four years instead of five when he inked his extension in 2012, and that he isn’t yet eligible for the NBA’s 35% max that’s reserved for veterans of 10 seasons or more, but he’s making the maximum salary allowable this season for a player of his experience. Blatt might not have meant to insult the power forward, but it’s a rookie mistake for the first-year NBA head coach, as USA Today’s Adi Joseph writes, particularly with Love possessing the ability to opt out and hit free agency this summer. There’s more on that amid the latest on the tumult in Cleveland:

Executives around the league maintain belief that there’s a decent chance Love will leave Cleveland this summer, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes within his mailbag column. Love is expected to opt out, and it’s unlikely he signs a long-term deal, since a one-year contract would set him up for free agency in 2016, when executives reportedly assume the salary cap will surge to around $90MM, Lloyd writes. However, that’s not cause for the Cavs to panic, given Love’s continued insistence that he envisions a long-term future in Cleveland, Lloyd says in a separate piece.
Blatt should have known better than to tweak Love with his comment, given the sensitivity Love showed when former Timberwolves GM David Kahn refused to give him a fifth year on his extension, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines.
LeBron is ecstatic about Cleveland’s trade for Timofey Mozgov, a source tells Vardon for the above-linked piece.

Cavs Notes: James, Mozgov, Love

January 11th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When LeBron James returns to the court from his injury, he will have three new teammates after the Cavs swung two trades this past week. The team is 1-7 without James in the lineup this season. James is second in the league points per game with 25.2, third in the league in minutes per game averaging 37.5 and has a player efficiency rating of 25.2, which ranks eighth in the league. Those numbers, coupled with the team’s win discrepancy without James on the floor, should put the four-time MVP in contention to win his fifth award this season.

Here’s more from Cleveland:

Newly acquired center Timofey Mozgov is ready to help turn around the disappointing Cavaliers, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Coach David Blatt said the organization has been trying to work out a deal for Mozgov since July. The efforts paid off on Wednesday, as the team picked him up from the Nuggets in exchange for two first-round draft picks. Mozgov said he tried not to follow the off-the-court rumors. “I always try to be away from this business,” he said. “I just try to do my stuff on the court. Of course, I read the news, I knew it. But not too deep to think about it every day.”
Kevin Love is unlikely to sign a long-term deal with the Cavs due to the expected rise in the salary cap, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd speculates that he might only sign a short-term deal, similar to what LeBron James signed this offseason, in order to maximize the benefit of the potential rising salary cap. Love could simply exercise his player option worth $16.7MM for next season to get the same effect; however, if he signs a new deal, he will likely get a raise on that figure, although that is just my speculation.
Despite struggling to live up to expectations this season, the Cavs are not panicking, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. “We know that things are going to work out,” Love said. “I know that we have a lot of talent here, guys who can do a lot of different things, so I tend to look at that more than the negative stuff.” Love hasn’t played well this year by his standards. His player efficiency rating is 19.1, down from 26.9 last season and his scoring has fallen by 8.4 points per game.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post