Lebron to Warriors this summer?

[Moranis]

Only if they clear max cap space. To do that, they'd have to trade Iggy, Livingston, and one of Thompson or Green.

Saltlover, maybe you can help with bird rights or cap hold on Kevin Durant's player option.

I actually think they'd be easier to beat in that scenario.

I’m not going to comment on ESPN clickbait.  The whole idea is preposterous.

Okay, I couldn’t help myself.  To have max room for LeBron, the Warriors would need to clear $65 million in cap space.  All of their players except KD and Steph make a combined $63 million.  So they could let everyone go for no incoming salary, and they would still need KD to decline his player option and take about a $6.5 million paycut, and then fill the rest of their roster with the room exception and ten guys making the minimum.

Clickbait. Let’s waste no more time on this.

The story was basically that the Warriors would clear enough salary to not be a tax payer so they could acquire James via sign and trade (with Thompson/Iggy going to Cleveland). 

[manl_lui]

I doubt this will happen but if he does this, any work he has done in Cleveland to fix his image will be undone (at least for the majority, he did bring them a chip) but leaving for the Warriors will be a very bad look for him even more so compared to when he first left for the Heat. Instead of forming a super team, he joined a super team.

But still i don't see this happening, he's gonna have to sign for way less than the max for that to happen and i just don't see it

[biggs]

Hey, if he wants to chase rings, come to Boston for the MLE and play PF. 

He and Kyrie do have that "unbreakable bond"

[Rosco917]

He would do it for sure. LeBron cares about his legacy above all else. Why would Golden State even think about?

There's a better chance he comes to Boston.

[seancally]

I don't think I would ACTUALLY do this if I were the GM, but since I'm just a regular guy.... 

Screw it - is it really a terrible idea for Cleveland to send Lebron to GSW for Klay/Iggy? Or, better for Cleveland though not sure if GSW would agree, Klay and Dray? Keep their own pick, keep the Brooklyn pick, got close to $20M coming off the books next year.... I mean, that's one helluva lot better than losing in the EC playoffs (or getting swept in the finals) and watching Lebron ride off.

Who really, really thinks Lebron will stay, and that Cleveland has a snowball's chance in hell of making the kind of trade necessary to compete for a title?

[Moranis]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

[DefenseWinsChamps]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

Each option requires Iggy, Livingston, and one of Green or Thompson being traded.

Option 2 requires that Durant not only to take 5 million less than he made this year, but to take 15-20 million less than the max for him. He has already sacrificed these first two years to make this work. This off-season was supposed to be the one where he got his 4 year max.

I suppose option 1 is possible. I just find it hard to believe that the Warriors would trade Thompson for James, but I suppose it could technically happen.

[Kuberski33]

Would lose all respect for that guy. Would be the second time he chased the ring and had to team up with other guys to do it.

Par for the course with Lebron but if both sides pursue this then I would look for Silver to either pull a Bowie Kuhn (look it up youngsters) and void a deal in the interest of preserving competitive balance in the league or his fellow owners to whisper in Lacob's ear to knock it off for the greater good - kind of like the NFL did with Kraft during Deflate-gate.

Basketball-wise though this guy demands so much of the ball why would GS want to bring that on?

[Moranis]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

Each option requires Iggy, Livingston, and one of Green or Thompson being traded.

Option 2 requires that Durant not only to take 5 million less than he made this year, but to take 15-20 million less than the max for him. He has already sacrificed these first two years to make this work. This off-season was supposed to be the one where he got his 4 year max.

I suppose option 1 is possible. I just find it hard to believe that the Warriors would trade Thompson for James, but I suppose it could technically happen.

I think the Warriors know Thompson is going to want a max contract, and I don't think they are going to give it to him.  They aren't going to break up the band for just anyone, but Lebron James isn't just anyone. 

That said, to do that option James would have to know he was leaving and wanting to go to Golden State before the end of the league year, and I see that as almost a 0% chance.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

Each option requires Iggy, Livingston, and one of Green or Thompson being traded.

Option 2 requires that Durant not only to take 5 million less than he made this year, but to take 15-20 million less than the max for him. He has already sacrificed these first two years to make this work. This off-season was supposed to be the one where he got his 4 year max.

I suppose option 1 is possible. I just find it hard to believe that the Warriors would trade Thompson for James, but I suppose it could technically happen.

I think the Warriors know Thompson is going to want a max contract, and I don't think they are going to give it to him.  They aren't going to break up the band for just anyone, but Lebron James isn't just anyone. 

That said, to do that option James would have to know he was leaving and wanting to go to Golden State before the end of the league year, and I see that as almost a 0% chance.

Aren't they in same situation with Lebron getting a max? I know Lebron is better than Thompson, but if they are hard-capped with giving Thompson a max, they would be with Lebron as well.

[Monkhouse]

This LeBron/GSW “rumor” is such an obvious plant by LeBron’s camp to (a) pressure the Cavs to trade that Nets pick/players for help, (b) unsettle GSW’s chemistry, and (c) pressure the Lakers to create cap space for him/others. I can’t believe anyone took it seriously. Come on.

Agree completely..

I don't believe this for one minute. Sure LBJ is infinitely better than Thompson/Draymond Green combined, but how do you think the chemistry will work? Can LBJ be okay with sacrificing his stats? Who is the number one option, or go to scorer? And if this did happen, the East would quite literally be open for us to dominate for years. Also I think LBJ would set the record for most assists per game next year if this did happen... The amount of catch and shoot hockey assists LBJ would have would be ridiculous.

[GratefulCs]

wouldnt be surprised if his PR team put this out there to gauge public reaction if he DID do something like this

also, it'll make it seem more palatable when he goes to houston

[Phantom255x]

Hey, if he wants to chase rings, come to Boston for the MLE and play PF. 


Not that it is high on my wish list.

Tell James to come here for MLE and just make up the rest of the "max money" through Dunkin Donuts contracts 

[Moranis]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

Each option requires Iggy, Livingston, and one of Green or Thompson being traded.

Option 2 requires that Durant not only to take 5 million less than he made this year, but to take 15-20 million less than the max for him. He has already sacrificed these first two years to make this work. This off-season was supposed to be the one where he got his 4 year max.

I suppose option 1 is possible. I just find it hard to believe that the Warriors would trade Thompson for James, but I suppose it could technically happen.

I think the Warriors know Thompson is going to want a max contract, and I don't think they are going to give it to him.  They aren't going to break up the band for just anyone, but Lebron James isn't just anyone. 

That said, to do that option James would have to know he was leaving and wanting to go to Golden State before the end of the league year, and I see that as almost a 0% chance.

Aren't they in same situation with Lebron getting a max? I know Lebron is better than Thompson, but if they are hard-capped with giving Thompson a max, they would be with Lebron as well.

Sure, but you can pay as much as you want and Lebron is worth the extra tax dollars while Thompson is not.  Lebron's would be at most 4 years also, Thompson would want a 5 year extension which wouldn't even kick in for a bit. 

[keevsnick]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22284640/these-three-ways-warriors-land-lebron-james-nba

the 3 ways are

1. opt in to last year and get traded (he could then sign a 3 year extension in January 19)
2. sign and trade (Durant would have to opt out and sign at 5 million less, but otherwise very similar roster)
3. create the cap space (very unlikely almost impossible for them to do)

Each option requires Iggy, Livingston, and one of Green or Thompson being traded.

Option 2 requires that Durant not only to take 5 million less than he made this year, but to take 15-20 million less than the max for him. He has already sacrificed these first two years to make this work. This off-season was supposed to be the one where he got his 4 year max.

I suppose option 1 is possible. I just find it hard to believe that the Warriors would trade Thompson for James, but I suppose it could technically happen.

I think the Warriors know Thompson is going to want a max contract, and I don't think they are going to give it to him.  They aren't going to break up the band for just anyone, but Lebron James isn't just anyone. 

That said, to do that option James would have to know he was leaving and wanting to go to Golden State before the end of the league year, and I see that as almost a 0% chance.

Aren't they in same situation with Lebron getting a max? I know Lebron is better than Thompson, but if they are hard-capped with giving Thompson a max, they would be with Lebron as well.

This story is basically the same theory as the Davis to GS story. Golden state has Thompson, who is gonna want a max. So instead of giving it to him they trade him and one of their pieces making big money to Cavs/Pels for Davis/Lebron essentially saving themselves some money against the tax while bringing in another top level MVP talent. Who would you rather have on the max, Thompson or Davis/Lebron?