LeBron Could Learn Something From Kevin Durant
LeBron is frustrated, concerned about Cavs’ ability to put together a roster that can better compete with Warriors. https://t.co/8kTTdrP2PU
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) July 17, 2017
Since his return to Cleveland LeBron has voiced frustration with management’s lack of aggressiveness many times. It has resulted in the team landing J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Deron Williams, and Kyle Korver over the past three seasons. Now, LeBron is frustrated with the Cavs’ front office yet again for not putting together a roster that can compete with Golden State this off-season. This summer they have added Jose Calderon& Jeff Green, while also re-signing Kyle Korver.
LeBron has no right to be frustrated with Cavs’ management, and the reason is simple. Look at their payroll:
Right behind Portland, the Cavs have the SECOND largest payroll in the NBA at $126M. LeBron is scheduled to make close to 1/3 of the team’s salary cap, and they are pretty deep into the luxury tax. If The King wants his front office to bring in good players, he has to take a pay cut. We saw Kevin Durant re-sign with Golden State this offseason, where he took $7M less than his max. This provided them with the flexibility to super max Curry, retain valuable players like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, and also even ADD Nick Young, who will be a key player for them off the bench. These significant moves all start with Kevin Durant, and maybe LeBron should be taking notes.
He is more than able to take less than the max. We saw him sign a lifetime contract with Nike last summer, giving him $1B over the next 12 years. According to Forbes, he is also set to earn $86M in the year 2017, which includes $55M in product endorsements. It’s very obvious that he has a ton of money and will continue to make it for years to come on and off the court. So why can’t he take a pay cut to help his team out? Tom Brady takes pay cuts every single year so the Patriots can surround him with talented players. Great players are great not only for how they perform, but what they do outside of the game to help their team out. LeBron is the most gifted player in the NBA, we might not see a talent like his ever again. He has to be willing to take a pay cut if he wants the Cavs front office to surround him with a roster that can better compete with Golden State. If he isn’t willing to do that, there is no reason for him to be complaining about his front office not making any significant moves this summer.
Written By: Nick Cherico (@NickCherico2)