Report: Lebron going back to Cleveland

Of course he wouldn't have gone back if there wasn't a chance to be competitive soon. That's why he left in the first place.

 

so Bosh makes more than James, it's a fucked up league

 

In the grand scheme of things, James makes way, way more than Bosh. LeBron's NBA salary is a small part of his earnings. He can sacrifice a little of that for a better situation and it really doesn't hurt him.

 

Bosh makes more than the likes of Drs. James Andrews and the late Frank Jobe, who have saved thousands of these athletes' careers.

It's a fucked-up world.

 

I was hoping for a Doo Doo Boat reference.

 

Not really. Elite athletic skills are more rare and in higher demand. These athletes' performances generate exponentially more revenue.

If the NBA didn't have a salary cap to artificially restrain his market, LeBron could probably command close to $50 million. Maybe more.

 

LeBron isn't leaving money on the table. He's set his contract up in a way to get as much money as possible in basketball. The general idea of the max deal is the most you can make is a certain % of the salary cap in your first year, then your salary goes up by a fixed % each year. LeBron is betting that the salary cap will grow faster than the yearly % increase in salary of a max deal, so that the first year of a max deal signed in 2016 is worth more than then third year of a max deal signed in 2014. And odds are he's right. So, over the next 5 years it's a pretty safe bet that LBJ will make more just for playing basketball than Bosh will.

 

Assuming that he stays healthy.

God willing

 

All true, but the portion of this that I don't understand is why LeBron didn't sign a max deal for 4-5 years and just have the opt out after one and/or two seasons. That would protect him in case God forbid, he gets injured. Maybe he's so rich he doesn't care, but I'm guessing if he had a decent agent they would have made that happen.

There might be a rule against being able to opt out after one season on a longterm contract, but two years should not have been a problem.

My other questions is why the maximum contract that the Knicks could have given Carmelo higher than the maximum contract the Heat were allowed to offer LeBron.

 

Only one season can be an option year. Carmelo has a higher salary because he made more than LeBron this year, and the max raises for a contract depend on if you have Bird rights nor not.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q16
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q55

 

I appreciate that. Thanks.

 

The guy who blew in LeBron's ear has signed with Charlotte.

Lance Stephenson took three years (the third an option year) at $27 million, less in total cash and years than the five years and $44 million Indiana offered him, though a little bit more in annual pay.

I presume he took a shorter deal because he (as does LeBron and perhaps other free agents) have an eye on the cap going way up after a new TV deal is negotiated in two years. Still, it says something about how wary GMs are about Bad Lance that he didn't get more, even in a short-term deal.