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In Approaching the Frenzy of the Free Agent July 1, the Underlying behind All Signatures and the Potential trades is the same as the one he's always been.
And nobody understands better than LeBron James.
In 2010, after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, James had all the potential. As they had planned for years, James and two superstar friends, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, have all reached the free market free agents. And as they had planned for years, the path to team up in a glamorous market with a legitimate chance to win multiple championships was as open as the path is for James on a quick break.
In 2018, the landscape is different … and so is the leverage effect. Let's examine the most intriguing free agent scenarios that will begin to unfold in the coming days and assess who has the power, the weight and the why.
LeBron James
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"He still has the advantage," said a league source Thursday at Bleacher Report. "Period."
And while this is undoubtedly true, the leverage comes to varying degrees. Unlike 2010, there is no clear path to a glamorous market with several championship parades in its future. In the case of James potentially signing with the Lakers, there are several moving parts that are out of his control.
First, there is the dark scenario of Kawhi Leonard (more on him later). For Leonard to arrive at LA, the Spurs must send him there; and at this point, R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich have shown no appetite for doing so
Then there is Paul George (more on him later, too). Although there are strong indications, according to an ESPN Royce Young report, that George will ultimately stay in Oklahoma City, he left his options open on Thursday by declining his player option for 2018-19.
The landscape for James will change dramatically midnight ET Friday, when he must decide to opt for the 2018-19 season with the Cavs. As Mike Prada of SB Nation has explained here, James is dramatically narrowing his options of free agent by retiring. In this scenario, there are really only three teams in play: the Cavs (who have Bird's rights) and the Lakers and Sixers (the only two teams looking for James who have the space to sign it). [19659004] If he chooses, James can "shoot a CP3", which means he could actually try to force a trade to virtually any destination he wanted. That's the tactic Chris Paul used to travel to Houston last summer.
Would James, a connoisseur of free agent power games, do something that would reduce his influence? It was only that he was comfortable with one of the three most likely results.
According to a Western Conference leader who spoke Thursday with B / R, the most likely scenario is as follows: James retires. the Lakers for somehow real in Leonard and George. If Magic Johnson can remove this monumental aid, James dons purple and gold. Otherwise, he stays in Cleveland for a one – year contract with a player option, and then reevaluates the landscape next summer.
"I think LeBron will stay," said the director of the Western Conference. "For one, he has already moved, and secondly, he has so much control over the place, he runs the entire building and does what he wants."
As for the Sixers, they look like the captains' room and an attractive collection of young and proven talents in Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, plus a respected James coach in Brett Brown. Is it enough to force James to leave Cleveland a second time? We will see. What we do know for sure is that if James opts, it means he's probably not headed to Philly in a trade that would cost them a hefty load of valued assets .
Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs
Yet, the Spurs are not without leverage.Leonardo does not leave anywhere until 2019 unless the Spurs accept it.And as a league source said B / R, "They are not going to be intimidated, the Spurs will do the move that they deem best for them."
Hold Leonard until the trading deadline of next February, however, can to be in the interest of San Antonio.At that time, "everyone will know that they must exchange it," said the executive of the Conference of the United States. West
So, with regard to who has the upper hand between Leonard and the Spurs, it is a dead heat.In February 2019, the advantage passes to Leonard.
Chris Paul and the Rockets
The Rockets pushed all their chips in the middle of the table when they teamed up with Paul Harden James, and yet they still came short against the Warriors. But they are not finished.
According to several league sources, Paul was much more focused on bringing talent to Houston than on his own free agency. For his part, Rockets GM Daryl Morey follows his instinct (and the vine) on the grounds that Paul is a potential teammate for James.
During the draft, the Rockets proposed many commercial scenarios involving Ryan Anderson. in the hope of erasing his almost $ 42 million of their books for the next two seasons. They did not find any takers, but their intention was clear.
"They think LeBron wants to play with CP3," said the director of the Western Conference. "They did everything they could [to move Anderson] but nobody did it."
In the end, who has the influence here? The Rockets, because there is little chance of losing Paul in the free agency, and the worst case scenario – James joining Leonard and George in LA – is extremely complicated.
Paul George and thunder
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Oklahoma City has influence here, at least in terms of being able to give George the longest contract for the most money. 39; money. But there is a lot of corn.
"He also has a leverage because it would be devastating for the Thunder and [Russell Westbrook] when he was leaving," said a league source at B / R. "But I'm not sure that he has leverage elsewhere than among the Lakers. "
Also, Los Angeles is home – not only to George, but also to his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA. 19659004] With the Lakers scenario, George is overwhelmed by the same moving parts as James. Is he ready to make the bold decision of being the first star to engage with the Lakers, so hope for the best? George seemed more comfortable in Indiana than as a second or third OKC banana. But when all the other stars of the league try to team up with other stars, it would be a risky move – not to mention an expensive one. George is entitled to a $ 176 million five-year deal with the Thunder – $ 46 million more than the Lakers could offer him for a four-year deal.
So, if the dream team scenario does not work, George could follow James's example and re-sign with the Thunder for a one-year contract with a player option and try again. Next summer.
DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans
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As noted here, James has expressed a strong affinity for Cousins in the past. But after suffering an injury to Achilles tendon, Cousins no longer has any influence on the market, said a league officer.
Pelicans have the hammer here, but they also face a dilemma. With over $ 85 million tied to Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic, Salomon Hill and E & # 39; Twaun Moore, New Orleans would be extremely limited in its options to improve the list if Cousins walked. It becomes a question of whether Cousins still believes that it is worth the money max as a result of his injury, and if so who is willing to give it to him.
DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers
Morry Gash / Associated Press
Yes, this dance is repeated. Three years after Jordan accepted a free agent contract with the Mavericks and then surrendered, Dallas is in the driver's seat to finally acquire the 29-year-old rim protector for real.
As Clippers and Mavs await Jordan's decision Whether to opt for the next season, a familiar league source with the negotiations has confirmed to B / R that the Mavs are pushing hard to acquire it in a trade. Such an agreement could be reached before the opening of the free agency at 00:01 and Sunday if Jordan were to participate.
For the Clippers, who fought tooth and nail to avoid losing Jordan for nothing in 2015 agency, a trade would seem to be the best scenario. In this respect, Jordan holds all the cards. If Dallas is his favorite destination and the Clippers are reluctant to send him there, he could simply withdraw and sign with the Mavs as a free agent. So, the Mavs have a very good hand too.
Jordan's flip-flop on his signature with the Mavs was one of the weirdest scenarios of free agents in recent years, sending the NBA into an emojis war. What is in store for the 2018 free agency? In the end, it will be the story of who has the most power – and who knows how to use it.
Ken Berger covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @KBergNBA .
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