LeBron James Heat 2014 & Offseason: King James Has Big Decision to Make, But He Does Have Options
The next few weeks could completely turn around the NBA with the decision of LeBron James and other marquee players. The deadline for players to make a choice whether or not to opt out or in is Sunday, June 29.
It was a pretty humiliating loss for James and the Heat in the 2014 Finals, but James has previously said that the outcome of the series will not affect his decision. Many people find that hard to believe after the beat down that took place against the San Antonio Spurs in just five games. Regardless, James is obviously the best player with an opt out clause and he controls most of the moving pieces with his decision.
Let's take a look at his decisions.
Exercise Player Option
If it isn't broken, don't fix it. The Heat have won the Eastern Conference the last four seasons and, despite the loss to the Spurs, James did win two Championships with the Heat. That's a lot more success than he had back in Cleveland. The good thing for James is, he can opt in for this upcoming season and make $20.5 million with the Heat and he still has another player option in 2015 for over $22 million.
This is the "play it safe" decision because if James doesn't like the way the team looks next season, he can opt out then. The only negative for James exercising his option is, it may restrict other good players from coming to the team.
Opt Out and Test Free Agency
There's no doubt James could make more on the open market. If he wanted to, he could make as much as $30 million base salary somewhere else on a poor team. But that remains the question going forward -- would James rather win or make a lot of money? There's also the location factor. James is an Ohio native, so he may want to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers to prove to the doubters he can deliver a championship to the city of Cleveland. Cleveland hasn't won a professional title since 1964, sorry Cleveland.
Opt Out and Re-Sign
James isn't the only player on the Heat with a player option this summer. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade do as well. If James' No. 1 priority is winning championships and he wants to stay in Miami, then this is the best decision to make.
By opting out and re-signing with the Heat, James can save the team a lot of salary cap space. If James shows he's willing to take less to remain with the team then maybe others will follow. There is even a small chance that, if James opens up cap space, maybe Carmelo Anthony would be willing to take less to join the Heat. This is however a risk, because Wade and Bosh may not take less and James will be left alone in the dark. Imagine James staying in Miami, but Wade and Bosh opt out?
There's a lot at stake for players and teams in the upcoming weeks. Of course, the Heat would love to re-sign their superstar player to a long-term deal but James has to weigh his options first. Does he want to play in a bigger market? Does he want to play for a better team? Does he want more money? Again, we must remember that James is a player option for next season as well so he has a backup plan in place.
Usually Pat Riley comes out on top when it comes to player personnel. As the Heat President, he has many decisions to make.
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