Brooklyn must feel like they hit the lottery, get rid of Kidd plus acquire two draft picks and then hire Lionel Hollins as his replacement. Talk about a having few good days.

With Lowry deciding to stay in Toronto and Collison going to Sacramento, that might put Miami in play for Thomas to come play point there. He's restricted.

Thomas will likely be too expensive. He hasnt made squat so you know he is looking for the best deal he can make. Not to mention you'd have to think Sacramento will be looking to do a sign and trade as oppose to letting him walk for nothing. Miami literally nothing to trade back.

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miam...ording-sources

Looks like this is legit. And if all they need to give away is Jack they are instantly the favorite to win the East. I think he should go home. It would make for a great story and I believe Lebron has 4-6 more great years left so they could be really good for a while.

He is taking a huge risk by going back. Depending on Wiggins to produce at a high level so early in his career, depending on Irving staying healthy and functioning off the ball at least for part of the time, depending on Thompson and Bennett to improve (a lot), depending on Waiters to find an effective role, depending on Spencer Hawes, depending on Varejao to stay healthy, depending on a rookie coach that has never spent a minute in the NBA....

all at a time when he should be reducing his minutes as he gets more wear and tear on body...

There better be plans to add another really good player because
that team isnt getting through San Antonio or OKC or Houston if they add Bosh.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11...ts-vegas-books

They are taking a ton of $$$ to win it all in Vegas. I agree that those 3 teams from the West would be tough, but they would likely steamroll the East. And with Lebron and Irving and some athleticism inside I think anything could happen in a 7 game series.

You always overrate Cleveland.

Chuck if you were Lebron where would you go right now?
I would go to Cleveland and not look back. At least all the youth makes them a wild card. Miami is what it is, and unless Wade somehow got healthy they would lose in the Finals again. Thats if they even get by Indiana again.

I wouldn't go to Cleveland now. Best to go somewhere else for a few years or stay where he is and see how Wiggins and the others develop. Then ride in later in his career and be the guy who puts them over the top.

It will be a miracle if LeBron has another 3 seasons of high-level play.

not many have continued to be truly dominant in their thirties.

It's his only option. Of course I may be biased. The Miami thing has run it's course and served his purpose. He got two titles (one quite lucky but two nonetheless). He can right the perceived wrong in Cleveland (he's a bit of an egomaniac that way) and if he gets only one title they will build statue after statue for him! Kobe and Jordan only won titles on one team (of course they only played for one!). Plus Johnny f***n Football needs a chaperone. It's just a win, win, win, win, win, win all around for James to go back to Cleveland right now, not later!

Why would you say its his only option? Virtually every team would make the moves needed to get him. He essentially can choose his team. Everyone knows that and if he chooses hometown and doesnt win Skip Bayless and the rest of the idiots will blast him for "settling" for going home

So "righting a perceived wrong" makes one an egomanic?

Kobe and Jordan didnt get drafted by Cleveland. Be interesting to see how history would be written if they were drafted by an inept franchise like Cleveland.

Returning to Cleveland is fraught with issues for him. 1st of all he will be expected to deliver a championship there and that wont be easy because despite the nonsense about how great Clevelands young players are, NBA titles arent won with young talent. Clevelands most accurate outside shooter currently is their center. Even the battered Cleveland fans arent going to be happy with 2nd round eliminations or getting swept by San Antonio in the Finals. You know who will get the blame.

He is aging well. He is physical specimen who has never been injured. Durant or anyone else has 4-5 years before they take over as the best. How many guys are great at 20 but still improve every single year?

I'm a huge Cleveland fan, always have been, "only option" was sarcasm

most all great athletes are "egomaniacs"....it has nothing to do with my stating the "righting a perceived wrong".

I have long stated Michael Jordan couldn't carry LeBron's jock strap back when I posted more frequently here. Most don't like stuff like that I say. You can at least put Jordan in the conversation with LeBron. Kobe...ha ha ha. First time Kobe got a roster as bad as LeBron got in Cleveland he was demanding a trade. People tend to forget that conveniently. LeBron is the best to ever play the game. Period, end of story. (perhaps those last two sentences are meant to entice people, but maybe not! and the last sentence really isn't a sentence anyway)

Spencer Hawes signed with the Clippers. I love Varejao, but he's not an accurate outside shooter!! I am a battered Cleveland fan. I would be ecstatic with a finals loss...seriously I would. Yes they are just young. Irving is a very, very good offensive player....that's it, he is a non-entity on defense. Wiggins has zero NBA games. I'm thinking Waiters will be trade bait to perhaps entice......Love??? Thompson is an average player, Bennett didn't have quite a good NBA rookie campaign.

all your points are quite legitimate however, I agree. As a battered fan, logic be damned!!

And believe me, I know this "is he returning to Cleveland" thing is 100 percent manufactured ESPN crap. The Miami thing has run it's course, but so has the LeBron is a villain thing for ESPN....they need to recreate it as they will play the he is shunning Cleveland again thing to the max. He's a free agent....so of course his agent is visiting a variety of cities. Bosh will take the max contract in Houston and they will re-constitute a new big 3 in Miami. that's all it is. His meeting with Riley is to go over who the new 3rd guy will be. Here's what Cleveland said they'll do....Riley....."here's what we're going to do".....LeBron...."I am keeping my talent in south beach". the end.

Players in their 20's shouldn't be aging anything but well.

Sorry I missed the sarcasm!

Bruce Drennan says source tells him "Lebron about 85% to return to Cavs"
 

He also suggests his sources say...

Jarret Jack to be traded to Brooklyn. In exchange for Marcus Thorton (who will also be dealt away from Cavs)

He also believes that it is probable that Kevin Love will be traded to the Cavs -- in exchange for Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and a draft choice.

Lebron, Love, and Irving could possibly make up a new Big 3.

That is a lot of if's involved with a lot of toxic players and contracts.

Thornton makes more than Jack but deal expires after this year, Jacks has 2 years left.

Thing that would make me nervous is that Love would need to make a deal with Cleveland to stay more than 1 year. He has player option for next year and is going to get max money somewhere if he chooses. Why lock into Cleveland until you have to? Surely this is a far better lineup than they currently have but IMO Irving-Love_Lebron is an odd fit.


Minnesota would be huge winner to come out with Wiggins and a number 1 for a guy they have zero chance of retaining and therefore have no leverage.

I think you know what I mean. And he has played more basketball then anyone the last 10 years. He shows no signs at all of slowing down or losing a step. Playoffs every year, Olympics, never ever injured. Because I respect you're opinion, how much longer do you think he is the best player in the world? I say its at least 4 maybe 5 years.

I would keep Bennett and WIggins.... Even though that big 3 would be better then Wade, Bosh and Lebron right now.

He showed signs last year. His defense was far below par for him as he was coasting alot. Not saying that he is not still the best player but he has definitely peaked and those minutes will start taking their toll at some point.

The only place bennett should be considered Big is the dinner table

And this is exactly why he should leave now. How many players ever have had to be the best at everything on there team? Lebron does everything for Miami, he defends David West one night and Paul George the next in the Conference Finals. At least Cleveland has young bodies in Waiters, Irving, Wiggins, Zeller... .

looking more and more like Cleveland

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap...ree-Team-Trade

Drugs info looks good this am

I would have never moved Zeller.

And now they are about to add Ray Allen and Mike Miller. I'm off to lids to get a size 8 Cave fitted. I saw a nice limited edition breast cancer awareness one.

I hope it's not Cleveland. Can't see a James/Irving pairing helping either player. And there's no defensive big man.

Teams dont want those bums with big contracts for nothing

More defensive stalwarts...

We've tired of defense and fired Mike Brown not once but twice. It's only offense now. Even brought in a guy well versed in European offensive basketball to coach them. I guess Wiggins can play defense but he only drafted as trade bait to bring in even more offense.

Bruce Drennan claims his source is "impeccable" and says he's "as reliable as it gets"

I'm sure it's someone high-ranking within the Cavs origination.

He think it's a done deal.

He says if it doesn't happen, or it falls through...it's because Lebron jerked off the Cavs and suddenly changed his mind.

The guy has spent 40+ years covering sports, and has been on the air in Cleveland for a long time.

His Rolodex isn't as impressive with horse racing, as it is with Cleveland Sports. He always calls on Mike Watchmaker to come on his show whenever he talks horse racing.

Drennan is ancient. I'm close to 50 and I remember in my teens watching Drennan do Indians baseball on TV in the early 80s when they were unbelievably horrible. We used to make fun of his fake optimism!! Good homer! I'm shocked he's not retired. I still don't trust LeBron with all of this. I still have a part of me that thinks he is rightly just screwing with Gilbert. I also find it odd that he's going there having not met with the new coach or new GM either. Doesn't make sense.

I guess an old high-school friend and teammate of his was coached by this guy, when he coached in Europe.

Lebron's agent and the Cavs GM have met on multiple occasions, and they're willing to do whatever Lebron wants to get him to Cleveland.

Drennan is only 64....I wikipediaed him. So he must have only been around 30 when he started doing Tribe TV work which I think is when he first showed up in Cleveland. I'm still not quite buying LeBron coming this year. IT just doesn't seem right.

here are the interesting nuggets on Drennan.....after reading this it's hard to not think he may not be all there with his stuff or "sources". Maybe he's right about this but the guy is several bricks short of a full load.

In September 2004 Drennan's home in Strongsville, Ohio was raided by FBI and IRS agents as part of a sports-gambling investigation. He subsequently lost his job at WKNR because of the investigation and served as host on an online radio station.

In April 2006 Drennan was charged with two counts of filing false tax returns. He later agreed to a plea bargain and served five months in prison.[3]

There's a cadre of radio sports morons in that city. Roda, Trivissano, Drennan come immediately to mind. But I think that's redundant and present in every city with major league sports.

He was a gambler and a bookmaker. It's why his show on Fox Sports Ohio is called 'All Bets Are Off'

It's official. Lebron returning to Cleveland.

Trade attempt for Kevin Love is next.

I'm not sure I move Wiggins. They win the East as is.

Thought it was pretty telling in his letter he mentioned by name Irving, Thompson, Waiters, and Varejao and playing with them.

the notable missing names were Wiggins and Bennett. Maybe accidental, but I think those two at least would go in a trade for Love.