LEBRON, THE DISAPPOINTMENT?

[mister friendly]

Come into this thread with an open mind.


In the midst of the Miami Heat winning streak and Lebron having another MVP type of season.

Lebron is finally the undisputed best player in the world with no flaws in the his game .

If everything goes to great for his team they will win their 2nd straight NBA championship this year.

Lebron is in his prime but hes also turning 29 this year and most NBA players historically not named Michael Jordan have declined after the age 30. His sidekick Dwyane Wade is already 31.

So I'm thinking how much longer can the Lebron's teams contend for championships and if you look at it logically with the way the new collective bargaining agreement is set up, 2014 is the probably the last year the Miami Heat will win the championship with its current core.

That would leave Lebron at age 30 with a declining or diminished team around him.

Then I start to think he probably cant add positively to his NBA legacy. I start to think about what his legacy would be..... 3 championships with probably 4 or 5 MVPs and that's when I start to get a little disappointed.

I know it sounds crazy!

But think about it...Lebron was supposed to be the "Chosen One"," We were all Witnesses"to his greatness, King James of all time lore...basically he was gonna be the best player ever. But with just 3 championships, you really cant say hes the best of all time. Jordan, Russell, Kareem would clearly be better, in fact you could even make the argument that Magic, Kobe, Bird, Shaq and Duncan are equals if not slightly better based off championships.

I really think the chances he blew in the 2010 NBA Playoffs and the 2011 NBA Finals will prevent him from being in the discussion for the All Time Greatest

 

[rook]

wut?

 

[antidope]

This may or may not be related, but I always end up thinking about how X player was deemed the next Y player, then soon forgotten because they clearly weren't that good, but in LeBrons case that never happens because he's clearly that good.

In regard to the OP his legacy already has a ceiling on it because of the two finals losses. He could end up wining 10 and average a triple double for his career or even something crazier, but "MJ never lost in the finals" would be the end all be all.

 

[mister friendly]

that good.

In regard to the OP his legacy already has a ceiling on it because of the two finals losses. He could end up wining 10 and average a triple double for his career or even something crazier, but "MJ never lost in the finals" would be the end all be all.

Yeah I don't blame him for the 2007 Finals loss, his team was clearly outmatched, it was a accomplishment to even make to the Finals.

But in 2010, I think the Cavaliers had a great shot to win the championship if he didn't pull that disappearing act vs Boston. The 2010 Cavaliers vs the 2010 Lakers wouldve been a 7 game series.

In 2011 he had no excuse at all, He totally choked.....that was worse performance by a superstar ever.

In my head he really should be sitting on 3 titles already...hence the disappointment

 

[Coupé It]

Didn't read most of it, but I'll say this.

LeBron best player on the planet, plays on an amazing talented squad. This team should 3 peat easily (maybe even four). If they don't, it's a travesty. The same way it was when they lost against the Mavs. They weren't built to win, they were built to be a dynasty.

OKC doesn't have the money nor the care to sustain or add talent, so they're not winning anytime soon. It's easy money for LeBron and the Heat, as long as they stay healthy. Wade is still good for another 4 years.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

In regard to the OP his legacy already has a ceiling on it because of the two finals losses. He could end up wining 10 and average a triple double for his career or even something crazier, but "MJ never lost in the finals" would be the end all be all.

The Spurs series is easily refuted and combated w/ the fact that MJ was not able to lead his team to the finals that early in his career.

The Mavs series will always hang over him.

 

[mister friendly]

Didn't read most of it, but I'll say this.

LeBron best player on the planet, plays on an amazing talented squad. This team should 3 peat easily (maybe even four). If they don't, it's a travesty. The same way it was when they lost against the Mavs. They weren't built to win, they were built to be a dynasty.

OKC doesn't have the money nor the care to sustain or add talent, so they're not winning anytime soon. It's easy money for LeBron and the Heat, as long as they stay healthy. Wade is still good for another 4 years.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9073693/nba-lebron-james-next-decision

CLEVELAND -- The Miami Heat are the defending NBA champions, currently on 23-game winning streak that has put a historical stamp on their dominance. Their superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh seem to be on the precipice of establishing the sort of dynasty they dreamed of three years ago.

So why are some Cleveland Cavaliers fans, who spewed hatred when James first returned to Quicken Loans Arena in 2010 to face the Cavs, considering whether to cheer for him Wednesday night?

It's because James may be just 15 months from free agency again, which means that Cavs fans can dream again -- dream of the return of the Ohio native who wore the wine and gold Cavaliers uniform from 2003 to 2010.

Yes, 2014 could be 2010 all over again. One thing is certain -- there will be another decision.

And Cleveland figures to be an option for LeBron, something that is not lost on local fans.

"My only focus now is to win another championship, I can't worry about speculation or rumors," James said recently when the subject was raised. "What we're doing on the floor right now is what it's all about. We're playing good ball right now. We're trying to win a championship."

Last year, James issued an olive branch to his former fans by talking about returning to play for the Cavs someday. And in the meantime, Kyrie Irving, a friend of James, has emerged as the young star the Cavs never had and always wanted alongside LeBron.

Speculation, while still rather quiet, is circulating around the league. Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said publicly in January what many have said privately when he told Fox Sports, "I could see LeBron maybe doing that [returning to the Cavaliers]."

In the foreground, the Heat continue to bask in the glory of their 2010 coup as they chase another championship. But that coup created quite the backlash in the league. There's an entire section of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, ratified in 2011, that could be titled "the Anti-Heat rules."

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
The league's new rules could break up the Heatles.
The reasons for those new rules are a complex mix of philosophical differences and plain jealousy. But in any case, very soon, the Heat franchise will face challenges in keeping its glittering team together. One might say that some of the other owners wanted to see LeBron take his talents from South Beach.

Wednesday is supposed to be the first day of spring, but you wouldn't know it in Cleveland -- the forecast calls for snow, strong winds and a high of 30. (It will be 84 degrees in Miami.) The Cavs have lost three straight, will be without their top three players (including Irving) and will host the team with the second-longest winning streak in NBA history. The talk of the league remains the streak.

But with NBA teams already working on their plans for 2013 and 2014, it's also time to talk about how things will unfold for the game's most dominating player. It's a question that hovers over Cleveland, and the entire NBA: What is LeBron's future?


LeBron's early termination option
Fans fixated on LeBron's infamous, if lighthearted, wish of "not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven" titles in Miami might not realize that LeBron committed to only four seasons in Miami. While his contract runs to 2015, as do the contracts of Wade and Bosh, Miami's big three can terminate their deals next year. (They can also extend to 2016, if they like.)

As of now, it seems almost certain James will use his early termination option and become a free agent in 2014, regardless of whether he intends to stay in Miami.

Why?

Several reasons, in no particular order:

One, James is making less than the maximum salary possible because he agreed to take less money in 2010 when he joined the Heat. He would be able to get a raise by opting out, up to the new max, whatever that turns out to be. Perhaps he'll choose to take less again, but in any case, opting out would give him the freedom to decide.

Two, he would be able to get up to five guaranteed years. Even if decided he to stay in Miami, simply signing an extension rather than seeking a new contract would limit him to four years.

Three, starting a new deal would allow him to create new opportunities to opt out in the future, which he couldn't get with an extension under the new rules.

Four, opting out would give him the maximum amount of flexibility and leverage to choose his future team and teammates.

James will be nearly 30 years old and probably looking toward where he wants to play the remainder of his prime years -- so he'll probably opt out and either return to Miami or look for a better situation. While that decision might seem especially loaded with meaning because it's LeBron, it's also a very normal development in NBA terms, one that happens every year around the league.

The next decision
James, like Wade and Bosh, has the luxury of not having to worry about his free-agency decision before July 2014. He can wait and evaluate the landscape of the league at that time and make a decision then, without worrying now about salary-cap management or guessing what various rosters will look like.

When James signed with the Heat, his final decision was made late in the process (despite accusations of a long-term conspiracy). James saw the chance to partner with Wade and Bosh in Miami and made his choice in June after the three had a series of conversations. This is likely the kind of decision-making process James will employ again.

In fact, he doesn't even have to decide whether to opt out until June 30, 2014.

[+] Enlarge
Larry Busacca/Getty Images/Estabrook Group
What will be LBJ's next "Decision?"
Sources close to James insist that there is no plan in place for 2014 and no decisions have been made.

Of course, teams hardly have the same luxury -- they have to plan ahead, because of the complexities of salary-cap and roster management. Going into next season, it will be fairly obvious, just as in 2009-10, which teams are plotting to make a run at James. While teams cannot talk publicly about players on other rosters, their intentions are often well known.

In addition to the Heat, three teams are mentioned most often as potential bidders: the Cavs, Lakers and Bulls.

Cleveland is in the midst of a long-term rebuilding project, relying mostly on the draft. As the Cavs move toward playoff contention, their hope is to use their salary-cap space to add veterans in the future, with James expected to be at the top of every team's list of desirable free agents, including Cleveland's.

The Lakers' situation is complicated by the presence of Kobe Bryant, a major rival of LeBron, but the league's most glamorous franchise can clear its books for the most part if it chooses to make a run at James. Bryant's contract expires in 2014, and he has hinted at retirement, although his intentions aren't clear yet.

And many around the league believe that Chicago, spurned by James three years ago, can put itself in position to make another run at him. By using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer and letting Luol Deng's contract expire, the Bulls could have the cap space to chase James again in 2014.


Bad news for the Heat
Why would James even consider changing locales? The answer is found in the new collective bargaining agreement, which might restrict Miami from surrounding him with as much talent as the franchise has amassed in the past.

Heat owner Micky Arison had perhaps more incentive to see the 2011 lockout end than any other owner, with the clock ticking on his big three era, and indeed he won an NBA title seven months later. Yet he voted against the new CBA because its regulations will make it extremely expensive for him to keep his stars together -- and will limit his ability to add talent around them, even more than the previous CBA. Overall, it was a bad long-term deal for the Heat.

The new CBA includes a punishing new tax structure, including a new "repeater tax" that could triple or even quadruple what the Heat would pay in tax in 2014 if Wade, Bosh and James were to re-sign.

The SuperFriends era has not been about money. Arison has shown the willingness to spend and has gone deep into the luxury tax over the past two years. Most of the players on the Heat roster, including all three of its stars, have given up a significant amount of salary to be in Miami and allow the franchise the cap space to fill out the team with talent.

The problem is, the new CBA was meant, in part, to be a superteam killer, with new rules about how teams over the tax line can acquire players. The new limits might reshape the Heat's roster. Simply put, restocking the team's roster with supporting players to replace aging veterans Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem is going to be significantly tougher.

Arison was concerned about this, which is why he attended most collective bargaining sessions personally even though he wasn't on the owners' labor relations committee.

(Furthermore, in building their ready-to-win roster, the Heat also have traded away four first-round picks in a six-year span, which will make it even harder for them to add high-potential players on reasonable contracts.)

"The original intent of the owners was to have a hard [salary] cap, which would've basically leveled the playing field between teams," Arison said in an interview after the CBA was ratified. "Instead, because of players' refusal to accept that, they just made it extremely expensive."

Had there been a hard cap put in place, the Heat might have had to break up their team immediately. Instead, because the rules were phased in, the Heat were guaranteed having three years of keeping their All-Stars together. But after that it gets extremely expensive, as Arison said, and maybe too challenging.

With these restrictions and the penal tax structure, the Heat may have to examine making a trade involving one of their three stars and breaking up their All-Star core.

With James as Miami's key figure and Wade as a Heat legend who will be 32 next year, the most likely candidate to go probably would be Bosh, who has lots of value around the league. Moving Bosh would give them a chance to restructure the roster to keep Wade and James while putting new supporting, cheaper pieces around them.

Of course, the Heat wouldn't do this lightly. But despite the sensitive and complex nature of the situation, Heat president Pat Riley probably will have to consider such a move between now and next year.

Regardless, these are the factors that appear to be working against Miami as LeBron approaches his next big decision.

Good news for the Heat
Still, the Heat have a lot going for them.

The new CBA did not force the immediate breakup of the Heat, but it did cause some of their title competitors some problems.

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not have the same timing on their side and decided they had to trade James Harden, although they have recovered nicely from the shock of that October surprise to contend again in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies had to trade Rudy Gay, although likewise they have thrived since their big trade.

The CBA's tenets against superteams affected those teams immediately. The Heat have the option of pushing off the tough decisions for another whole season.

If anything, the new CBA only made James and the Heat look savvy for making their big moves when they did.

And let's not overlook one very important piece of the puzzle -- there is no CBA that can stop players from taking less money, as James, Wade and Bosh did in 2010. Very few people believed that they, or any other superstars, would take less than the max. Yet they did, and in the process they allowed players such as Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller to come aboard. It was that decision, as much as any other, that created a championship team in Miami.

It's a decision that LeBron and his teammates might make again.

The Heat have other factors in their favor as well. For one thing, the franchise has not used the amnesty provision yet. If the Heat decide to release Miller this summer, as is expected, they can reduce their tax burden for 2014-15 by perhaps as much as $10 million.

In that case, their books will be in very good shape overall. Other than Miller, they don't have a bad contract.

With Miami's popularity as a destination, and with LeBron and his superstar teammates as a draw, the Heat can continue to appeal to free agents willing to take less money to join up -- just as Ray Allen did in 2012. As LeBron evaluates his options, that might help keep him in Miami as well, knowing he can stay there and bring in teammates ready to make future title runs.

The Heat have used their limited free agency well over the past two years, landing Battier and Allen on low-cost deals that have proven to be favorable. There's no reason to believe that Riley won't be able to continue leveraging his desirable city and strong core to attract free agents who wouldn't consider cold weather cities.

Where the Cavs stand
James stayed in Cleveland for seven years, and then left because he saw a chance to play with better teammates and win titles.

In 2010, the Cavs were capped out with underperforming veterans and were largely devoid of young talent after having traded away four first-round picks in a seven-year span. The future, LeBron aside, was dim, and that's exactly how it played out in his absence -- the Cavs won only 19 games without LeBron in 2010-11, a drop of 42 wins.

Now the future is starting to look a bit brighter. Yes, the Cavs are headed to the lottery for the third straight season without James. No doubt it has been a miserable run for the franchise.

But the result is they are now stocked with young talent, putting four players in the rookie-sophomore game over All-Star Weekend. Cleveland has two more first-round picks coming this season, including one probably in the high lottery, and could have as many as three first-round picks in the potentially loaded 2014 draft.

James never played with a star in Cleveland like the Cavs now have with Irving, who was an All-Star before his 21st birthday. James also has a relationship with young developing forward Tristan Thompson, as they share the same agent.

The Cavs' foundation is structured much differently than it was when James starred there. They also have lots of salary-cap flexibility and could be in position to add several free agents in 2014 because their young players are on inexpensive rookie-scale contracts. Even though the Cavs were coming off back-to-back 60-win seasons when James left, the Cavs' outlook in 2014 could be much better than it was in 2010.

Of course, it's easy to talk about potential. Right now, all these rising prospects don't even amount to a playoff team.

There's another reality: The Cavs and owner Dan Gilbert already have been burned badly by James once. Sure, they can probably get a meeting with him if they want to in July 2014, but are they willing to set themselves up for another disappointment? Can they do so without losing some of the fans who hate LeBron? Can they do so after Gilbert's scathing letter condemning LeBron for leaving?

But they don't have to worry about that now. They are on the right track, and they have another offseason, another season and two more drafts to make themselves more appealing to James. And they have Kyrie Irving.

The Heat outmaneuvered the Cavs three years ago, mostly because the Cavs were trying to win a title right then while the Heat were able to plan for the future. The roles are now reversed. But, of course, that doesn't necessarily mean the results will be.

Still, some Cavs fans will hope. And some will cheer LeBron on Wednesday nig

ht.



The Heat have 3 players in their prime. 1 isnt gonna get any better and about to descend.

They have no ascending players on their roster.

OKC, the way that they are built now cant beat the Heat but if they got a post player they would definitely be a favorite. Durant and Westbrook should have 6 more ascending or prime caliber years.

But we are talking about 2015 and beyond, Id be willing to bet the title contenders aren't even on our radars right now.

 

[antidope]

In regard to the OP his legacy already has a ceiling on it because of the two finals losses. He could end up wining 10 and average a triple double for his career or even something crazier, but "MJ never lost in the finals" would be the end all be all.

The Spurs series is easily refuted and combated w/ the fact that MJ was not able to lead his team to the finals that early in his career.

The Mavs series will always hang over him.

You would think so wouldnt you. Then you have this conversation with people and they carry on as if him never losing in the finals means he never lost in the playoffs at all. I really wish that people would just stop trying to compare people to MJ becuase no matter what, they will always find something to tilt the scales in his favor(

I want to pose a question also. What do you guys think will happen if LeBron was to switch teams again? Come 2014 he will have the chance, and to be honest I think he should, the wheels will fall off from the Miami bus soon after so why wouldnt he position himself to go somewhere with Kyrie and have a chance to win more. If he was to do it that would be the end of his legacy, he would forever be that guy who just "kept switching teams to win" but honestly I would not care at all. Thoughts?

 

[Coupé It]

But we are talking about 2015 and beyond, Id be willing to bet the title contenders aren't even on our radars right now.

Okay, how did I say any different? What was the point of that article? By 2015, the Miami Heat, if they continue, would have won 4 straight. I didn't say anything past 2015, I didn't say they could go beyond 4 straight. I said they should be able to 3-peat, they could even win 4 straight. I don't care if they're players aren't improving, the Miami Heat are good enough to do that.

OKC going to get a low post center? How? The NBA barely has any low-post scoring centers to go around. They got rid of Harden this year, they got rid of Jeff Green before. They don't sustain talent because they're too cheap, they don't obtain new talent because they're too cheap.

After 2015 maybe by then the Thunder can win, or somebody else. Thunder aren't winning anytime soon.

 

[mister friendly]

Okay, how did I say any different? What was the point of that article? By 2015, the Miami Heat, if they continue, would have won 4 straight. I didn't say anything past 2015, I didn't say they could go beyond 4 straight. I said they should be able to 3-peat, they could even win 4 straight. I don't care if they're players aren't improving, the Miami Heat are good enough to do that.

OKC going to get a low post center? How? The NBA barely has any low-post scoring centers to go around. They got rid of Harden this year, they got rid of Jeff Green before. They don't sustain talent because they're too cheap, they don't obtain new talent because they're too cheap.

After 2015 maybe by then the Thunder can win, or somebody else. Thunder aren't winning anytime soon.

The 2014 season will be dicey for the Heat

Have you seen how old their roster is? Most of their supporting players are in their mid 30s and they don't have high draft picks to replace them with.

Also you act like Wade is gonna eventually revert but to the pre streak Wade. Hes declining

I dont think the Thunder are cheap, they are just looking at future. Durant and Westbrook should get better and may be enough to carry them to the title in 2014 and beyond

By the season 2014-15. The Miami Heat definitely wont be title contenders. Thats only 3 straight titles and if Lebron stays there, he isn't winning anymore championships hence why I said it would be a disappointment.


Another good article on the Miami Heat problems in upcoming seasons

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...06/sixth-man-nba-cba-nicolas-batum/index.html

Whether you love or hate the Miami Heat, you ought to appreciate their runs at the championship over the next two seasons. Because owner Micky Arison may not be able to afford his team by 2014-15.
In that season the "repeater" tax will kick in, bringing with it the most gruesome financial penalties for high-payroll teams that the league has ever seen. The repeater tax threatens to change the way business is done in the NBA, and its first major victim could be the reigning champion Heat.
As its payroll stands today, Miami is committed to seven players in 2014-15 at a total cost of $78.4 million. The bulk of that guaranteed money is scheduled to go to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who will be paid $61.4 million altogether that season.
It's important to note that Miami's payroll for 2014-15 does not yet include low-salaried players who are crucial to its championship hopes -- contributors like Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Rashard Lewis, each a member of the Heat's current team. Those five players are making a combined $14.9 million this season.
Let's say that Miami, in order to remain in title contention in 2014-15, will add $14.9 million in cost-efficient role players to the seven men already contracted for that season. (The Heat may have to pay more than $14.9 million for similar complementary talent two seasons from now, but let's stick with that conservative figure for the sake of argument.) Here's what it means: If their ambitions remain high and they're able to keep costs as low as possible, then the Heat will be responsible for a payroll totaling $93.3 million -- and that's before the brutal impact of the repeater tax kicks in.
At the conclusion of 2014-15, the repeater tax will make its dreaded debut by punishing teams that have paid a luxury tax for four consecutive seasons. Miami is on a path to be hit with an enormous penalty in the summer of 2015.
As a repeat taxpayer, the Heat will be facing the highest incremental tax rates in NBA history. If, for example, the luxury-tax threshold is established at $75 million -- a highly optimistic gain of roughly $5 million from this season -- the Heat could be faced with a tax bill approaching $48 million. In total, they would be paying $141.3 million for 12 players.
"They're going to have to break up their team,'' predicted a rival general manager who has done the math.
Unless the NBA's financial circumstances improve over the next couple of years, Arison will be faced with two unhappy choices: The Heat could run a big deficit in 2014-15 to pursue the championship, or he could break up their winning roster by way of trades, amnesty or by not re-signing James, Wade or Bosh, should they exercise their options to become free agents in 2014.
If league revenues were to jump higher than expected over the next two years, the tax threshold would be raised accordingly and Arison might be able to find a way to escape with his team intact. But the NBA's TV contracts with ESPN/ABC and TNT don't expire until 2016, and league executives don't foresee major financial gains rescuing the NBA before the repeater tax takes effect.
The repeater tax was negotiated into the new collective bargaining agreement during the 2011 lockout. The owners were seeking a hard salary cap to limit costs. When the players insisted on a soft cap, harsher taxes became the owners' next-best remedy. In 2015-16, and for each season thereafter, the repeater tax will be levied against teams that are paying a luxury tax for the fourth time in the past five seasons. (To avoid the repeater taxes a team will have to dip below the luxury-tax threshold for two years over the course of a five-year window.)
It threatens to change the way championship teams are assembled. The idea of building a championship contender for a long-term run may no longer be a reasonable goal. Remember when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were criticized for allowing their feud to break up a dynasty that could have dominated the NBA for a decade? That kind of goal won't be in play for contenders who can't afford to pay the repeater tax.
Teams such as the Heat may be forced to voluntarily withdraw from title contention, even though James and Bosh will be at their peak while Dwyane Wade will be only 32 entering the pivotal 2014-15 season. Dallas owner Mark Cuban was criticized for not re-signing his players to defend their 2010-11 title, as championship teams traditionally do. But the new taxes have rendered that tradition untenable: Holding that team together would have led to unjustifiable penalties for a roster that was too old to remain in contention.
The goal for most franchises (including Cuban's Mavericks) will now be to avoid a luxury tax until they are positioned to win the championship -- because once the payroll crosses the tax threshold, the clock will start ticking down, and a contender may have only a three-year window of contention before the team must be broken up to avoid the repeater tax.
This has not been a big topic of discussion around the league because most teams aren't in position to deal with the repeater tax. Based on current payrolls, eight teams -- the Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Warriors, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat and Knicks -- are over the tax threshold of $70.3 million for this season. The Warriors need to shave $1 million from their payroll to escape the tax. It would be money well-saved for Golden State, preventing it from entering the repeater window prematurely with its rebuilding roster.
The Nets' current $83.5 million payroll has put them on a path to pay a repeater tax in 2015-16, when they'll owe a combined $35 million in salary to Joe Johnson (who will be 34) and Gerald Wallace (33). Their expensive quartet of Johnson, Wallace, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez alone will be making $72.8 million that season, which means owner Mikhail Prokhorov will be faced with a repeater tax bill of more than $50 million. To look at it another way, the Nets will be under enormous pressure to prove the investment is worthwhile before the repeater tax confronts them in 2015-16.


Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...ba-cba-nicolas-batum/index.html#ixzz2O6f2QbFz


The repeater penalty is not the only source of fear for ambitious owners and their team executives. Franchises that cross the threshold are also going to be hit with an annual luxury tax that will be toughened next season. The current tax penalty for annual offenders is $1 for every dollar over the threshold. Next season the penalty jumps to $1.50 for every dollar above the threshold up to $4,999,999, with the tax rates climbing incrementally for each additional $5 million. Put it this way: The Lakers are facing a tax bill of roughly $30 million for this season; for next year, a payroll that includes a re-signed Dwight Howard and a roster filled out with minimum contracts could leave the Lakers with a preposterous tax bill approaching $95 million in what could be Bryant's farewell season.
Rivals will be watching closely to see how the Lakers react to total costs of $199 million in payroll and taxes next season. If they decide they can afford it, based on a local TV deal that pays them $150 million annually, other franchises will complain that this CBA once again enables the richest teams to buy championships at the expense of the not-as-rich.
"I see three teams that can potentially afford to pay the biggest taxes," one general manager said. Those teams are the Lakers, Knicks and Nets, and they could yet undermine the aim of the new system to create an even playing field.
The repeater tax has already influenced the title race. "You saw it in the James Harden trade,'' a rival GM said. "It was definitely a consideration there.''
Had Oklahoma City re-signed Harden at the rate for which he would sign eventually with the Rockets, the small-market Thunder would have been facing the heightened luxury tax next season with the potential of a repeater tax penalty for 2016-17. Under no circumstances could OKC afford the repeater penalties, which would have forced it to abandon its title hopes as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook enter their peak years. As it is, the Thunder will be up against the tax threshold next season and beyond even without having to pay an eight-figure salary to Harden.
The Thunder don't generate revenues that would enable them to afford excessive taxes. While Miami is a richer franchise, it can't sustain high tax payments either. This season, which is the last year of the old system, the Heat are budgeted to pay a tax bill of $13.9 million in addition to their $84.2 million payroll. Next season those penalties will more than double under the new system, unless Miami changes its payroll.
One GM who reviewed Miami's payroll suggested that the Heat could try to lessen their tax penalty or avoid it entirely by diminishing the rotation around their three stars. Among the potential moves would be to apply the salary of Mike Miller (owed $6.6 million in 2014-15) to amnesty, and to trade Udonis Haslem (owed $4.6 million in 2014-15) and Joel Anthony ($3.8 million) to teams with room under the cap.
"They'll have hard decisions to make,'' the GM said. "Of course, they might have won three championships by then.''
It may turn out there will be no decision for Arison to make. James, Wade and Bosh can exercise options to become free agents in the summer of 2014, and one or more of them may surrender to the realities of the repeater tax by acknowledging that Miami simply can't afford to remain in contention year after year after year. Guess who will have gobs of cap space that summer? The only player currently under contract to the Lakers for 2014-15 is Steve Nash. The Lakers could scoop up LeBron, should he choose to opt out, while managing their cap to avoid the tax in 2014-15, liberating them to pursue a run of titles without having to worry about a repeater tax until 2018-19 -- at which time, when the harshest penalties kick in, they may well decide they can afford to pay the extra taxes.
So have at the potential consequences, all of you conspiracy theorists. If the Lakers don't trade Pau Gasol, it will be because they want to save his cap space for LeBron. Pat Riley, now 67, will retire and move back to Malibu rather than face the premature dissolution of the dynasty he assembled. And, if the Lakers eventually prove a willingness to play by a set of new rules that other teams can't afford, fellow owners will be demanding nothing less than a hard cap by opting out of the current CBA in 2017.
Good luck to you, incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The next several years promise to be more provocative than ever.

 

[Coupé It]

By the season 2014-15. The Miami Heat definitely wont be title contenders. Thats only 3 straight titles and if Lebron stays there, he isn't winning anymore championships hence why I said it would be a disappointment.

So the Heat won't be title contenders in a year and half?

I'm done. No more. It's useless.

 

[maseratimargiel]

this couplet88 guy sure is a miami heat fan....disguised as a knick fan...

reminds me of al3xis and big j.....swear up and down that they are knicks fan.....but celebrate when miami heat wins...

 

[maseratimargiel]

^couplet88....are you a miami heat fan or a knick fan...i get confused sometimes...you ride bron bron hard..

remind me of al3xis and big j....swear up and down that they are knicks fan...but root for the miami heat die hard....and ride bron like a pony in every thread.

miami heat fans posing as knicks fans.

 

[al3xis]

^couplet88....are you a miami heat fan or a knick fan...i get confused sometimes...you ride bron bron hard..

remind me of al3xis and big j....swear up and down that they are knicks fan...but root for the miami heat die hard....and ride bron like a pony in every thread.

miami heat fans posing as knicks fans. >:

LOL. That's right I'm a LeBron lover and can readily admit it while you need to take out a back up SN to say something.

But nope, I haven't been on here since 2003 in Knicks threads.

 

[maseratimargiel]

^dude relax...you can root for whoever you want...life is short..

I just never understood knick fans rooting for the heat?

like do you not know the history? the rivalry? the beefs the fights? from the 90's and early 2000's...

knicks and heat fans and players despised each other....riley failed in ny...and went to south beach and became a god.

but i guess this new generation is very laissez-faire with their support..

"I am Knick x Heat collabo fan"

"Miami/NYK slash any team lebron plays for"

it would be like a red sox fan supporting a yankee...

or a jets fan supporting a patriot

too much bad blood to every wish success for the other franchise

 

[Coupé It]

Dude you got 4 posts, what you talking about Bruh?

I'm a Knicks fan, a huge Knicks fan. I hate the Heat, I've been kicked out of American Airlines twice in the past 5 years for being that overly aggressive New Yorker, I ride round South Florida with a Knicks and Yankees shield on my coupe bro. Don't try to test my Knicks fanship with 4 posts.

But I'm not going to sit here and act like LeBron James isn't the best player in the world and the Miami Heat aren't a good team. I do still have a brain, I'm extremely rational. More of a realist.

 

[mister friendly]

So the Heat won't be title contenders in a year and half?

I'm done. No more. It's useless.

Yes its a real possibilty

But I guess you cant read and comprehend, I guess the articles are too long and have "too many words" don't want to waste less 4 hours of your day sounding out words to 4 pargraphs

 

[DCAllAfrican]

"Modern Medicine" should help him out

 

[Coupé It]

Yes its a real possibilty

But I guess you cant read and comprehend, I guess the articles are too long and have "too many words" don't want to waste less 4 hours of your day sounding out words to 4 pargraphs

I'm on my phone I don't have time to read thru it, I'll do it later. But as long as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are on the same team together a year and half from now. They will absolutely be title contenders, it's absurd to say they wouldn't be. The supporting cast is expendable. The Bulls proved that in the 90's.

 

[al3xis]

^dude relax...you can root for whoever you want...life is short..


I just never understood knick fans rooting for the heat?


like do you not know the history? the rivalry? the beefs the fights? from the 90's and early 2000's...


knicks and heat fans and players despised each other....riley failed in ny...and went to south beach and became a god.


but i guess this new generation is very laissez-faire with their support..


"I am Knick x Heat collabo fan"

"Miami/NYK slash any team lebron plays for"

it would be like a red sox fan supporting a yankee...
or a jets fan supporting a patriot

too much bad blood to every wish success for the other franchise

I rooted for Alonzo Mourning individually. I root for LeBron individually. Sorry I don't confine myself to only liking NBA basketball and a group of 12 individuals.

knicks and heat fans and players despised each other

Not like the focal points of that rivalry were best friends or anything. Things can co-exist.

 

[antidope]

By the season 2014-15. The Miami Heat definitely wont be title contenders. Thats only 3 straight titles and if Lebron stays there, he isn't winning anymore championships hence why I said it would be a disappointment.

So the Heat won't be title contenders in a year and half?

I'm done. No more. It's useless.

I wouldnt say they wont be a contender, but there will definitely be teams better suited for him to play for if he wants to get more rings.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Dude you got 4 posts, what you talking about Bruh?

I'm a Knicks fan, a huge Knicks fan. I hate the Heat, I've been kicked out of American Airlines twice in the past 5 years for being that overly aggressive New Yorker, I ride round South Florida with a Knicks and Yankees shield on my coupe bro. Don't try to test my Knicks fanship with 4 posts.

But I'm not going to sit here and act like LeBron James isn't the best player in the world and the Miami Heat aren't a good team. I do still have a brain, I'm extremely rational. More of a realist.

Fam im not disputing your fan affiliation to the knicks.... but i will say that around 70% of the time i see you post in S&T it has something to do with Bron or bigging up the Heat. It's fine to be a fan of a great player, but your CONSTANTLY talking about the Heat & Lebron

 

[finallyfamous]

Of course Windhorst wrote that article

chubs is still a cavs fan, just gettin paid to talk heat

 

[Animal Thug]

Coming in with an open mind as well; and here's what i think.

Lebron's career wont be judged fully based off The Decision, we all know that. But it will undoubtedly make an impact when it's all set and done. The Miami Heat organization and it's fans will disagree of course.

Lebron had a chance to do something that no other Cleveland sports athlete could have done. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, knowing what the fans (including his own family/friends) went through year after year trying to bring a championship here - he could have been crowned the King he claimed to be. But ultimately, the organization and team failed to do that for 7 years (more like 3; his earlier years gave him zero chance to win anything because of him still growing into the player he is today).

So he pretty much disrespected his teammates, the team he played for, the city he's from and fans of his former team by waiting until the last minute to inform his team of his departure - all while going on national television to announce his "Decision". He set the Cavaliers back several years by not allowing them to make the neccessary moves to compete the next year, because he purposely waited until that time expired (he informed the CAVS minutes before the Decision aired).

Along with him leaving, the Cavs lost Big Z, Deleonte, Shaq, the head coach, and the GM. That's pretty much an overhaul. It was selfish of him, narcissistic, egotistic and devilish. The team crashed and went on to break the all time consecutive losing record, all while holding the organization hostage with nothing but lying, unfulfilled-promises.

THE VERY NEXT DAY after the decision.....what did he do?

Threw a concert for the city of Miami, claiming that team was going to go on and win 7-8 championships.

Really?

Can you honestly say with all that being said, some won't look at him as a dissappointment?

His hometown most certainly will, and that's where the plot thickens. IF Lebron decides to never come back and play for the Cavs, and he retires knowing deep-down that Northeast Ohio (heck, even NYC) still will have some type of animosity towards him - it'll haunt him forever. Part of reason why I think he stressed so bad in his first season with the Heat was because of how he felt; or how the outcome of the Decision affected him. He lost more hair from than to now than ever before (for whatever reason). The championship has changed alot of how he feels about that now, and it's probably made him more comfortable with the Decision - but it will leave a scar every person in Northeast Ohio and a few other places will see when it's all set and done.

(excuse the misspelling, typos please).

 

[darthska]

It would be a disappointment if he finished his career ringless.

His career is neither finished, or ringless.

So no.

I don't care if he finishes w/ 'only' one; it sets him at a different table than Barkley, Stockton, Malone, Nique, etc.

Do I think he'll finish w/ just 1? No, but that's my opinion. Do I think he'll finish ringless? No, and that's not my opinion.