LeBron hints at extension

[Andrew]

Report: LeBron Could Re-Sign In 2009

LeBron James has told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is pleased with the success of the Cavaliers and is considering signing a contract extension this summer.

"You play out this season of course; I will consider it," James said Saturday. "The direction we are headed is everything I expected and more."

Many teams have reportedly begun clearing cap space for the summer of 2010, in hopes that James would be available on the free agent market.

"I definitely want to keep an open mind, I will look at everything," James told the Plain Dealer. "[The extension] is a good point. I think me and my group have pretty much made good decisions so far and we'll look at the options and go from there."

Yahoo! NBA story here.

He's not the only high profile player who would currently be a free agent in 2010, but what a blow that would be to the teams lining up for a chance to sign him if he signed an extension with the Cavs before 2010 came around, a possibility that no one has paid much attention to since most scenarios that involve him remaining in Cleveland still have him waiting until 2010 to do so. If he does sign an extension this offseason and other would-be free agents follow suit then the summer of 2010 could be a lot less eventful than first though, though I'd be surprised if none of the top tier free agents that year decided to keep their options open.

I think it's good for LeBron to come out and say something like that, some of his comments on 2010 have been a bit ambiguous and have only served to fuel speculation that he's as good as gone, though all the same he's hardly guaranteeing anything right now. You have to wonder where this leaves the Knicks who have made moves that are meant to pave the way to a big offseason in a couple of year's time, though whether or not they have a shot at LeBron having that cap space is surely preferable to having one of the league's highest payrolls and little to show for it.

[Doobie]

A little piece of my heart just fell out of my chest.

[Andrew]

Well, nothing's a done deal yet so who knows, he might still wait until 2010 to decide his future. That said, if the biggest factor in his decision is a team's ability to compete for a championship, the Cavs are making a strong pitch right now.

[The X]

I, like Barkley, would like to see Lebron remain in Cleveland....couldn't write a better script than that....

it's like if Garnett had of won a title in Minnesota, that would've been great....or Nowitzki in Dallas or Nash in Phoenix (or Dallas for that matter)....and so on....

[Valor]

I, like Barkley, would like to see Lebron remain in Cleveland....couldn't write a better script than that....

it's like if Garnett had of won a title in Minnesota, that would've been great....or Nowitzki in Dallas or Nash in Phoenix (or Dallas for that matter)....and so on....

+1...i cannot, and would not like to think of Lebron in a Knicks or Nets jersey....
adding one name to that, i would have loved it if Iverson had won the title with the Sixers.....

[Andrew]

No matter where LeBron plays, I'm sure he'll make his mark on the league and NBA history will remember him fondly, though I agree it would be special if he could continue to achieve greatness and success in Cleveland and elevate the club to new heights. The best performances in franchise history tend to be footnotes of other team's success, such as the teams of the late 80s and early 90s that battled the Bulls year-in, year-out. Even the 2007 team that made the Finals is kind of overlooked because of the way they were swept by the Spurs in a Finals series that lacked much drama or excitement.

[Jeffx]

LeBron James has told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is pleased with the success of the Cavaliers and is considering signing a contract extension this summer.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Please LeBron, come to NY and save my franchise!

[Andrew]

Since a fair amount of LeBron to New York scenarios have been thrown out there, where do the Knicks go if LeBron does sign an extension this offseason?

With Toronto's struggles and impending search for a new fulltime coach in the upcoming offseason, Chris Bosh may still decide to leave his options open in 2010 and is someone they should probably still target. He might not be quite the acquisition the Knicks are currently hoping for (at least solo) because for all his talents he hasn't developed a "once in a generation" vibe such as the one that surrounds LeBron, but he's top power forward and the Knicks could do a lot worse to say the least. If LeBron takes himself off the market before he's even available, then I think Bosh and probably Amare Stoudemire (or maybe even both) easily stand out as the players to target.

I know you've also got Dywane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, but I would speculate that they're more likely to re-sign with their current teams whereas dissatisfaction and the lure of greener pastures will be stronger for Bosh and Amare.

[Skills]

Doesn't Melo's contract run longer than Bron, Bosh and Wade's? And surprisngly, I'll actually have to agree with you on that Bosh statement Andrew. The Raps are in no place to get past the first round, or even make the playoffs at this rate. Unless things change soon before 2010, Bosh will probably be gone, no matter how much he loves the city.

[Andrew]

You're right, Melo's contract runs another year before he can opt out in 2011.

[The X]

For whatever reason, I can see Amare in NY....although I think Bosh should be NY's number 1 target....

[Andrew]

It could happen, Phoenix is currently eighth in the West and may not be able to put together strong runs this year and next as they begin to reshape their roster so Amare could certainly look elsewhere. These guys are going to get the big bucks no matter where they end up so it's going to come down to the chance to be on a competitive team and connections/personal relationships. D'Antoni being in New York might certainly sway Amare to sign on with the Knicks if he's on their radar, which I imagine he would be. I'm sure they'd still like to get LeBron and someone else if possible and if not LeBron, one or two of the other marquee players. Bosh and Amare would likely be a force to be reckoned with up front though someone would be playing out of position.

[Skills]

God I'd wish that'd happen in Toronto.

[Andrew]

I'll bet, but simply holding onto Bosh in a couple of year's time should give you hope for the future.

[Skills]

True. Plus, knowing Colangelo's ties with the Suns, Amare coming in 2010 is a likely possibility.

[Andrew]

I don't know about it being likely but certainly a possibility. The situation with Amare in 2010 is tough to predict though. Not that we know what's going on in any player's head of course or can conclusively state what's going to happen after next season but with LeBron it seems a bit more straightforward; from what he's said, if the Cavs keep winning this season and next and show that they've taken that "next step" then the chances of him re-signing (be it an extension this offseason or in 2010) are pretty good.

The reports and rumours doing the rounds as far as Amare are concerned tend to conflict though and Phoenix's future is kind of up in the air as they've got a winning record so far but are also in a bit of a transition period with a new coach and a roster that's been shaken up a bit. I saw a snippet the other day in which Amare mentioned being happy in Phoenix and that he's loyal to the team but then there's been talk of him being unhappy as well and if they're destined for a retooling/mini-rebuilding phase then that's going to put his loyalty and patience to the test. If there are other behind-the-scenes issues then he may not feel such loyalty will be justly rewarded and look elsewhere.