The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired the former head coach of Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, David Blatt. Blatt replaces Mike Brown, who was fired on May 12, and inherits the first pick of the 2014 NBA draft. What does this mean for the future of the Cavs?
The Rockets already have the league's best guard-center tandem (Harden-Howard), solid young role players (Chandler Parsons, who is set to become a restricted free agent, Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones) and an owner (Les Alexander) who is willing to spend. Houston also has all of its first-round picks for the next couple of years as well as a knack for finding talent late in the draft.
Like Florida, Texas has no state income tax, negating Miami's advantage on that front and giving the Rockets a big selling point in their pursuit of Anthony. (A player pays about 10 percent more in taxes in New York than in Texas.)What the Rockets don't have is salary-cap room. But they could clear about $19 million by unloading a few players, starting with Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, who are taking up a combined $16.7 million in cap space.
However, their contracts are unique and potentially difficult to move: Asik and Lin are each due a massive $15 million balloon payment next season, although they count as $8.37 million each for cap purposes. Then again, their contracts expire in 2015, so the commitment is minimal.
Sources say the Rockets are confident they can trade both players to teams with cap room and thus take back no salary in return.
There is ample interest in Asik, an elite defensive center who could start for most teams. Lin will be tougher to move, although the Rockets could include a draft pick to pair with him as a deal sweetenerHouston would then need to trade two minor pieces—Donatas Motiejunas and Isaiah Canaan—and waive a few players with non-guaranteed deals to create the $19 million slot. Once they sign a star, the Rockets would re-sign Parsons by using his Bird rights.The new starting five would be James, Harden, Howard, Parsons and Beverley. That's worthy of title-contender status, even in the ultra-competitive West. Indeed, that lineup is arguably superior to the one James joined in Miami four years ago.Harden and Howard are a younger, better version of Wade and Bosh. Parsons and Beverley are more talented than any of the Heat's current supporting cast.
Sub in Anthony instead of James, and the Rockets would still have an incredibly dynamic team that would be capable of challenging the Spurs and the Thunder.That $19 million starting salary would mark a slight pay cut for James or Anthony, but both are inevitably heading for pay cuts this summer anyway, wherever they end up.crowd chasing James will be thick, of course.Cleveland can offer promising young players—including the No. 1 pick in this year's draft—and the allure of coming home. It's the storybook ending everyone would love (except for those in Miami).The Los Angeles Clippers can offer their own Big Three vision, with Chris Paul (a close friend of James) and Blake Griffin. But their path to cap-room relief is much more complicated than the Rockets', and it would cost them DeAndre Jordan.
The Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers will likely come calling, too. But the Lakers roster is barren, the Bulls' best player is coming off two knee surgeries, and the Mavericks' franchise star—Dirk Nowitzki—is 36.
The Brooklyn Nets are hopelessly capped out. The New York Knicks are cap-clogged and talent deficient.the Heat were just another suitor, they would have a tough time selling James based on their roster alone. Miami has no depth, no young talent in the pipeline and little payroll flexibility thanks to the massive salaries of its three stars. But they could all take a pay cut and extend the era.Or James could flee for greener pastures once again
The Rockets, as much as ever, will be waiting.
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