Lebron upset with lack of depth/playmakers on Cavs

[Moranis]

What if Cleveland was the only place Anthony agreed to be traded and the Cavs refused to give up Thompson or Love?  Would the Knicks do something like this or just keep Anthony in that situation?

Anthony, Lee

for

Frye, Shumpert, Smith, 2021 CLE 1st (top 5 prot.)

[PhoSita]

What does New York gain by doing that?  Knicks fans will not be pleased if the team trades him for essentially nothing.

[mctyson]

I took this whole rant as a swipe at the Cleveland office to say "hey, I am getting old, I can't do 82 games + 4 playoff rounds much longer."  He wants to play less during the regular season. 

[Monkhouse]

What if Cleveland was the only place Anthony agreed to be traded and the Cavs refused to give up Thompson or Love?  Would the Knicks do something like this or just keep Anthony in that situation?

Anthony, Lee

for

Frye, Shumpert, Smith, 2021 CLE 1st (top 5 prot.)

Terrible trade lol.

[Moranis]

What does New York gain by doing that?  Knicks fans will not be pleased if the team trades him for essentially nothing.

shave a bunch of money off of next summer (and long term), add a future first, get out from under Anthony.  Not a super awesome trade by any stretch, but not the worst trade around either.

[celticsclay]

What if Cleveland was the only place Anthony agreed to be traded and the Cavs refused to give up Thompson or Love?  Would the Knicks do something like this or just keep Anthony in that situation?

Anthony, Lee

for

Frye, Shumpert, Smith, 2021 CLE 1st (top 5 prot.)

I think they would 10000% keep Anthony in that situation. Paying Jr Smith 15 million a year for the next 2 years doesn't seem to help them at all. Frye is on the books next year for 7.5 million and Shumpert is really a pretty generic bench player. None of those guys are assets for a team in the Knicks situation and a first round pick 4 years into the future is not worth giving up Carmello for. If it was possible, I wouldn't really want that package for IT, Bradley, Horford or Crowdley. It almost seems like a net negative. I can't imagine Anthony really has any way he can force the Knicks to make a trade that bad. The Knicks would just let him retire.

[CelticGuardian]

What does he expect? He can't simply override their cap situation with his brand name, he has to play by the rules and he messed up trying to play GM and signing himself to a 30 mil contract. If that doesn't happen and JR isn't massively overpaid he probably could've had some wiggle room to add, say a Goran Dragic from the Heat.

[celticsclay]

What does he expect? He can't simply override their cap situation with his brand name, he has to play by the rules and he messed up trying to play GM and signing himself to a 30 mil contract. If that doesn't happen and JR isn't massively overpaid he probably could've had some wiggle room to add, say a Goran Dragic from the Heat.

Would dragic really want to be backing up Irving off the bench? I feel like he forced himself out of the suns over not liking his role. He would be sick off the bench though.

[CelticGuardian]

What does he expect? He can't simply override their cap situation with his brand name, he has to play by the rules and he messed up trying to play GM and signing himself to a 30 mil contract. If that doesn't happen and JR isn't massively overpaid he probably could've had some wiggle room to add, say a Goran Dragic from the Heat.

Would dragic really want to be backing up Irving off the bench? I feel like he forced himself out of the suns over not liking his role. He would be sick off the bench though.

I imagine he would see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity, he's starter quality but Heat are not doing anything but wasting his prime years and there's no way they are not picking up one of these PGs in the draft. If he stays, he'll really only serve the purpose of mentor to their new young guard.

[hpantazo]

Lebron is clearly whining a bit, but he isn't asking the Cavs to go out and acquire superstars.  He is asking them to sign some vets to the bench so that he can coast a bit more in the regular season.  Obviously if Smith and Anderson don't get hurt, I don't think Lebron is belly aching this much about back-ups.  I mean the Cavs back-up PG is a 5'9" rookie that was the 54th pick in the draft.  How many defending champions have someone like that as the only back-up PG on the roster?

This strikes me as James venting because he is playing a ton of minutes and he doesn't want to be out of gas come the NBA Finals.

Who can they sign though? Is there a playmaker that is out there that is an unrestricted free agent that would provide what James wants? Would the Cavs have to trade someone? Who?

Mario Chalmers and Jarret Jack are both unsigned.  They went unsigned over the summer because they were hurt.  Not sure their current injury status, but either of them would be a perfectly fine back-up PG if healthy.

Norris Cole is also available. There were reports that they are trying to trade for Rondo, I wonder if that is what Lebron is referring to. I'm sure the Bulls would be glad to move Rondo but can the Cavs make room for his salary?

[liam]

What if Cleveland was the only place Anthony agreed to be traded and the Cavs refused to give up Thompson or Love?  Would the Knicks do something like this or just keep Anthony in that situation?

Anthony, Lee

for

Frye, Shumpert, Smith, 2021 CLE 1st (top 5 prot.)

I think they would 10000% keep Anthony in that situation. Paying Jr Smith 15 million a year for the next 2 years doesn't seem to help them at all. Frye is on the books next year for 7.5 million and Shumpert is really a pretty generic bench player. None of those guys are assets for a team in the Knicks situation and a first round pick 4 years into the future is not worth giving up Carmello for. If it was possible, I wouldn't really want that package for IT, Bradley, Horford or Crowdley. It almost seems like a net negative. I can't imagine Anthony really has any way he can force the Knicks to make a trade that bad. The Knicks would just let him retire.

Didn't Phil Jackson just trade those guys away....

[Surferdad]

Never enough help


Maybe he should join the warriors

I don't understand his complaint.  They are the CHAMPS and in 1st place in the East and likely to meet GS in the Finals for a 3rd year in a row.  I think he's got all the help he needs talent-wise.  It makes more sense that it is his teammates' lack of effort, though I certainly understand that is an unprofessional thing to say about teammates in the media.  Point is, they don't need a personnel change.

[hpantazo]

Lebron is clearly whining a bit, but he isn't asking the Cavs to go out and acquire superstars.  He is asking them to sign some vets to the bench so that he can coast a bit more in the regular season.  Obviously if Smith and Anderson don't get hurt, I don't think Lebron is belly aching this much about back-ups.  I mean the Cavs back-up PG is a 5'9" rookie that was the 54th pick in the draft.  How many defending champions have someone like that as the only back-up PG on the roster?

This strikes me as James venting because he is playing a ton of minutes and he doesn't want to be out of gas come the NBA Finals.

That would be a fair point, one that basically every superstar vet on a contender has managed before. Why not work it out with his coach, who he put in place, to take some games and practices off and/or cut back on his minutes? Duncan did that, Bill Russell did that, many guys on contenders always do that.

No need to whine in public and throw your teammates and front office under the bus.

[Clench123]

I like him but dude can be such a child sometimes

[celticsclay]

Lebron is clearly whining a bit, but he isn't asking the Cavs to go out and acquire superstars.  He is asking them to sign some vets to the bench so that he can coast a bit more in the regular season.  Obviously if Smith and Anderson don't get hurt, I don't think Lebron is belly aching this much about back-ups.  I mean the Cavs back-up PG is a 5'9" rookie that was the 54th pick in the draft.  How many defending champions have someone like that as the only back-up PG on the roster?

This strikes me as James venting because he is playing a ton of minutes and he doesn't want to be out of gas come the NBA Finals.

Who can they sign though? Is there a playmaker that is out there that is an unrestricted free agent that would provide what James wants? Would the Cavs have to trade someone? Who?

Mario Chalmers and Jarret Jack are both unsigned.  They went unsigned over the summer because they were hurt.  Not sure their current injury status, but either of them would be a perfectly fine back-up PG if healthy.

Norris Cole is also available. There were reports that they are trying to trade for Rondo, I wonder if that is what Lebron is referring to. I'm sure the Bulls would be glad to move Rondo but can the Cavs make room for his salary?

It would be pretty interesting to see Rondo there. He does seem like a risk not worth taking for them though (unless the bulls cut him and he signs for waivers). Nobody has really come up with an asset they could trade for these guys aside from a 2021 first round pick or an injured smith (who the cavs probably need for the playoffs)

Jack was in camp with the Hawks and got cut for some pretty low profile options so it seems pretty doubtful he is the answer to me.

Chalmers was kind of a marginal player before tearing his ACL. Is he going to be playable as a backup for a team like the Cavs?