LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

So Lane is hinting today that we might purposely choose Lopez over Ayton because we may want to retain future cap flexibility. If LeBron heard that was going to be the mindset this summer (letting DFS walk, choosing stop-gaps over better players due to years, likely not trading the 2031 first), then I get why he did what he did yesterday. It would be supremely frustrating to be 40 years old, still playing at an All-NBA level, on a team with Luka but the front office is making moves like that.

 

I'm struggling to understand, what would be Ayton's incentive to do a multi-year deal instead of doing a 1 year (or 2 year with PO) at the full MLE? Makes more sense for him to take a prove-it deal next to Luka, Lebron, and AR to cash in next year. I'm not seeing how choosing Ayton limits future cap flexibility.

 

yeah, unless we're really just doing only one-year deals, which is a bit wild to me. like, if we got to february, and it really wasn't working out, AND we were sure we needed the extra 15 million, we could find a way to dump it. but that's a lot of IFs.

as it stands, we only have 81 million committed after next year. even with reaves's cap hold, i'm pretty sure we'll have max space should anyone actually be available (these days, nobody is).

they can't be THAT gun shy just because of vando, right?

 

LOL Cuffs lurks here too and has been reading sirron's blasts at him for the last 8 years.