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Sheridan: Structure of LeBron’s New Contract Empowers him as King of the Cavs

http://www.sheridanhoops.com/2014/07...g-of-the-cavs/

LeBron James can play the rest of his career on the equivalent of one-year contracts. It has exposed a loophole of sorts in the CBA while making him the most powerful man in the NBA.

Nobody saw this coming, but when James signed a two-year deal with Cleveland and had an opt-out included after Year One, the entire power structure of the NBA changed. If the Cavs don’t keep him happy, he’ll leave — that is the implication that goes along with having the best player in the game so uniquely empowered under the structure of his new deal.

Two years from now, when James becomes an unrestricted free agent again, he’ll be able to reap the financial rewards of signing after the NBA’s new television deals are cut. If the money paid by ESPN, Turner Sports and Fox Sports (yes, they NBA could have three TV partners instead of the current two, following the trail blazed by the NFL) is double what is being paid under the current deal, the salary cap will rise accordingly.

If, for argument’s sake, if the salary cap rises to $100 million, James would be eligible for a new contract with a maximum salary of 35 percent of the cap. With 7.5 percent annual raises, James would be eligible for a new five-year contract with salaries of $35 million in Year 1, then $37,626,000, $40,250,000, $42,875,000, $47,550,000.

That adds up to $201.5 million.

Or, he could keep doing two-year contracts with one-year opt outs. That would imperil his ability to lock up a nine-figure deal, but it would keep his empowerment structure in place.

You thought the Decision II brought some finality to James’ moving van options? Wrong. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what James can do by being empowered with a player option after Year One of his next deal … and the deal that comes after that … and the one after that. With a player option. If he declines to exercise that option, he immediately would become an unrestricted free agent. It is a heavy hammer to hold, an enormous position of power that would give James the ability to influence each and every roster decision the Cavs make for the next four years. (Under CBA rules, if James signed a five-year deal he could not have a player option or an Early Termination Option until after the fourth year. A series of two-year contracts would keep him empowered the way he is now).

The Cavs’ evolving stance on the availability of Andrew Wiggins in a potential Kevin Love trade is just the beginning.

Clearly, James is trying to influence Cleveland’s decision making.

Imaginary conversation between LeBron and Dan Gilbert:

LBJ: “I want Kevin Love.”
DG: “We can’t get him, because the Timberwolves want Andrew Wiggins.”
LBJ: “Then give them Wiggins.”
DG: “But Wiggins is 19 and could become the best player in the league down the road.”
LBJ: “When exactly?”
DG: “It might only take four or five years.”
LBJ: “You don’t have four or five years. If you don’t make this trade, I’ll walk next summer. The Knicks and Lakers will both have enough cap space for a max contract. You want me to walk?”
DG: “No.”
LBJ: “Then make the damn trade.”

What might a Wiggins-for-Love trade look like?

Love makes $15.72 million in the upcoming season, and Wiggins will eventually sign for $5.5 million. So the salaries do not come close to matching, but the Cavs and Wolves could get a third team to broker the trade so that other players would not have to be included. Philadelphia is the most logical broker because the Sixers have only $28 million in committed salaries for next season, giving them a whopping $35 million in cap room.

The Cavs could conceivably offer Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and three No. 1 draft picks in 2015 (their own, Memphis’ No. 1 and Miami’s No. 1) for Love.

Flip Saunders would be able to turn to his owner and his fan base and say he got five No. 1 picks, including the top overall picks from 2013 and 2014. Dan Gilbert could turn to his fan base and explain that he made a deal that will allow the Cavs to immediately compete for a title with a starting five of James, Love, Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao and Dion Waiters.

LeBron would be placated — and a placated King is a happy King.
And one year from now, LeBron could again go to Gilbert and make whatever roster demands he wished.

Gilbert would have no choice but to comply, because Gilbert would not be the most powerful member of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.
That title would belong to King James, who already is wielding his power

My sexy time dream is that a three way trade goes down that sends MCW, Bennett, and picks to the Wolves and pairs Wiggins with Embiid in Philadelphia.

My other sexy time dream is a much different three way trading of fluids.

As it should be. LeBron has an incredible basketball mind.

Yes, I want to get back together with you. But you have to get rid of that dog.

But I love my dog.

More than you love me?

Obviously not.

Well, I can't have a dog right now.

But you'll love this dog! It's the exact kind of breed you've always said you wanted.

I understand that. And it's a great dog. But I have a small window with my new job, and it's going to be a lot of travel. I can't afford to have a dog right now. This could be the biggest moment in my career and I want you to be a part of that.

I want to be a part of that-

But it doesn't work if we have a dog.

This dog is totally self sufficient. You can leave it in the yard and it will protect the house while we're away so you don't have to stress about it.

I want a cat.

Ugh....

I need a cat. A blue point siamese.

This dog was free at the pound with all its shots. And now you want me to spend a bunch of money on some purebred cat that needs all this expensive shit.

It's the expensive cat and me or you can sit at home alone with the dog.

****... Alright I'll see if I can find a good home for the dog.

I love you.

Yeah... I... I love you too.

We don't know if Wiggins the Dog is self-sufficient yet. He's a puppy and we just got him from the pound. Yeah, he's a smart breed like a German Shepherd, but any dog can get ****ed up if you don't have a clue what you're doing.

Love the Cat may be expensive, but he came from the old reeruned people next door. You've taken care of the cat before and know that it's had bad owners, but it's still a nice cat that doesn't piss on furniture and claw at the drapes and children. It's only 7 years old and relatively healthy outside of the time two years ago when the old guy accidentally slammed the door on its tail and broke it. The old people are making you pay out the ass for it, but in terms of being the right fit for the household, Love the Cat is the superior pet for the dude who's trying to have a successful career.

Josh Smith can likely be had for very little. Heck, Bledsoe is still available, although he's not a big.

LeBron is the guy who insisted on a lot of the players on the first cavs team. Players are players. Leave the personnel to the coaches. Mj was a terrific basketball mind too. But he can't run a team worth a shit.

They are going to have a below average post presence and LeBron will have to play 40+ minutes a night. At his age, they need to not force LeBron to do everything.

ROFL Great exchange here

You keep saying that Wiggins takes pressure off LeBron on the defensive end, and there's probably merit to that. But doesn't Love equally take pressure off him on the offensive end and on the boards? Between Kyrie creating and Love scoring, LeBron will be able to pick his spots on that end and concentrate a bit more on the defensive end.

He might a little. But any more than Tristan Thompson? Enough to justify max contract? I get that love is a terrific player. But with 17 mill you can pay Wiggins and a solid center. That to me feels like a much better complement than bringing a third player into the starting lineup who is excellent at shooting, can't play in the post, and plays lousy defense.

This.

You can find cheap strong SF defenders anywhere. When Lebron goes to the bench, just run shit through Waiters, Irving, and Love. I threw up the idea of the Wolves throwing in Luc Mbah a Moute as just an example. If it's defense that the Cavs are worried about, you don't need a super stud talent like Wiggins to do that shit for you in the short term future.

I'm not saying Cavs fans should be excited to get rid of Wiggins, but insisting that the team hold onto him or no Love deal is just greed. Yes, that would ****ing rule if he fulfilled his potential and kept the Cavs going even as Lebron got older or left the team. You know what else would ****ing rule? Just winning a goddamn championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Possibly two.

The Cavs have the best shot of making that happen right now with Kevin Love. The team has done enough falling ass over tea kettle into outstanding draft picks. It's time to put all that good fortune to use and make an actual team that can win a title or two in the next two seasons.

James, Irving, and Waiters among others can more than carry the scoring load. Varejao, Thompson, and Bennett among others can rebound. This isn't Minnessota where there's no one else to score or rebound. We need depth and defense, we lose all that trading for Love. His skills are also diminished here because we already have players who can do those things. The Cavs need a rim protecter far more than anything else, and that sure as hell isn't Love.

James and Irving have a better chance of winning with a strong supporting cast and bench than they do with Love and nothing else.

Sure I'd Love to have Love as I've said, but not at the current price. We don't NEED him he's just a big luxury. Cavs are in Championship contention for the forseable future with or without him. Blatt has won everywhere he's gone, gets more out of less, his players always love him, and he's regarded as an offensive mastermind. I like our chances.