Many believed the Heat’s loss to the Spurs in the NBA Finals was when LeBron James first began to seriously consider leaving Miami. As it turns out, the wheels may have already been put in motion.
Mike Miller, who followed James this offseason to the Cleveland Cavaliers, told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer this week that James initially began questioning the Heat’s brass when they used the amnesty provision on Miller in July 2013, sparing owner Micky Arison millions in salary and luxury-tax fees and ultimately sending Miller to Memphis.
“LeBron thought it was an unnecessary change,” Miller revealed to Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’m not saying I would have been a difference-maker. San Antonio was unbelievable last year and there are a lot of things that go into a season, but it was difficult for LeBron.
“It was difficult for all of us. It was difficult for me. I had to uproot my family and move again. It was tough. I think he was disappointed because he understands legacies and he understands what he wants to do in life. That’s what makes him special.”
James was one of the first of his old teammates to reach out to Miller after he was amnestied. The two expressed their extreme frustration with the move. Miller found himself comforting James just as much as James tried comforting Miller.
On the surface, the Heat’s decision was completely defensible. Plagued by injuries, Miller averaged just 15 minutes/game in the 2012-13 season and scored a career-low 4.8 points/game. Those aren’t numbers typically associated with a salary of over $5 million per season.
That said, it’s clear now that the Heat didn’t put the proper value on keeping James happy. For starters, despite his regular-season injuries, Miller did play a key role in the postseason on back-to-back championship teams. Beyond that, Miller was one of James’ hand-picked guys. Making room for Miller was one of the reasons the Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each took below the max upon signing with Miami in July 2010. It wasn’t hard to predict that dumping Miller could upset James and also give rivals an opening to accuse Heat management of cutting corners.
Remember, it wasn’t as if the Heat were dumping Miller to give them the flexibility to then re-allocate that money elsewhere to improve their team. They were capped out. It was a move to save Arison’s pocketbook, period. LeBron noticed.
There’s nothing wrong with Arison’s decision, per se. Many other teams and owners have used the amnesty clause for similar reasons since its introduction in 2011.
But a true superstar like James wields enormous power, and some executives fail to realize how much. With contract lengths shorter than ever, the modern recruitment process never stops. After signing, stars watch closely to see if management has the commitment to winning that they’d like to see. If they perceive otherwise, they have a long line of suitors elsewhere willing to offer the world.
Miller by himself wasn’t worth $5 million in 2013-14, much less the extra luxury-tax impact. But Miller’s role on the Heat was always bigger than himself. It was about his relationship with James. It appears the Miami front office — coming off back-to-back championships at the time — felt they were untouchable and took an unnecessary risk for the sake of Arison’s checkbook.
In today’s NBA, every decision is closely scrutinized. The courting never stops. The Heat let their guard down less than a year before James entered free agency, and now they’re paying the price.
KEVIN DURANT PLANS TO REJOIN TEAM USA FOR 2016 OLYMPICS
Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant took his fair share of criticism, most notably from our own Chris Sheridan, when he abruptly withdrew from the US national team in early August. Durant said he was fatigued after multiple long NBA seasons and needed a break, but waiting until just before the start of exhibition play was brutal timing for USA Basketball.
Nonetheless, according to ESPN‘s Marc Stein, Durant is, in fact, planning to be a member of Team USA for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
The news seems noteworthy for two reasons. First, it would seem to signal that Durant remains on good terms with USA Basketball leaders despite his late withdrawal this year. Second, the summer of 2016 is when Durant is set to become a free agent, with multiple teams outside of Oklahoma City (led by the Wizards and Knicks) ready to pounce.
Historically, NBA superstars have tended to reject international play during uncertain offseasons. James, Wade and Bosh each sat out in 2010, saying that their contract situations were the first priority, Likewise, Kevin Love withdrew from this year’s Team USA in late July , citing his “current status” — a reference to his then-pending move to Cleveland.
As a result, Durant’s plan to buck that trend is intriguing. It could be that Durant isn’t planning a particularly long or dramatic courtship process in July 2016. It could also show, however, that Durant feels badly about how he left things with Team USA last month.
WAITERS, WALL TRADE BARBS AS CAVS-WIZARDS RIVALRY ESCALATES
Washington point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal haven’t been shy entering 2014-15 play. They think they’re the best backcourt in the NBA.
Cleveland’s Dion Waiters, the No. 4 pick from the 2012 draft, has a different opinion.
“That’s nonsense,” Waiters told reporters Tuesday at Cleveland’s training camp. “[Beal is] supposed to say that, but I know deep down, he’s not messing with me and Ky [Kyrie Irving]. I think me and Ky are the best backcourt, young backcourt. That’s all.”
It didn’t take long for that news to reach Wizards camp, and Wall had a fairly appropriate response.
“You’ve got to win a playoff game first before you can talk,” Wall said. “You’ve gotta be a starter first.”
Wall has a point. In their first season together, he and Beal led the Wizards to a 44-38 regular-season record, a first-round playoff series win over Chicago, and a very competitive second-round series with No. 1 seed Indiana. Meanwhile, the Irving- and Waiters-led Cavaliers were a combined 57-107 over the past two seasons — a .348 win percentage.
The Cavaliers are Eastern heavyweights now, but that’s due to the arrival of one LeBron James. On the floor, it definitely feels premature for Waiters to compare he and Irving to Wall and Beal, especially since Waiters usually came off the bench.
Cleveland and Washington were rivals in LeBron’s prior stint with the Cavs, so it isn’t a shock to see the feud resuming now that he’s back. The teams first play each other on Nov. 21 in Washington.
OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE NBA
The Rockets plan on picking up the fourth-year options on the contracts for power forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The news doesn’t come as huge shock. Picking up the option years on cheap rookie contracts is usually a formality if the player is at least serviceable. Jones, in particular, has been that and more to the Rockets. The No. 18 pick from the 2012 draft was a regular starter on the front line next to Dwight Howard a season ago, averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27 minutes/game, including a highly-efficient PER of 19.1. Our own Shlomo Sprung selected Jones as a member of his All-Breakout Team for the Western Conference this season.
Meanwhile, the Lithuanian 7-footer Motiejunas could have a bigger role in 2014-15 as Houston searches for additional size off the bench to replace departed backup center Omer Asik.
Jones and Motiejunas will make nearly $4.8 million between them in the 2015-16 option years. Though that’s not an enormous number, it’s significant enough to indicate that the Rockets do see Jones and Motiejunas as positive assets going forward. If not, the cap-flexibility-starved Rockets would have likely declined the options in favor of additional cap room.
LeBron James may sit out of Cleveland’s night practice on Tuesday as he continues to manage a sore back.
“It’s come-and-go,” James told local reporters following the Cavaliers’ earlier practice on Tuesday. “From the start of camp it’s been kind of iffy. I’m doing everything to get it back, and I’m used to it, at the start of camp just getting back into basketball shape.
“It kind of comes and goes, but I’ve been able to practice and go full every day without limitations, and that’s a good sign.”
James has had other bouts with back spasms in recent years, including in 2013-14 camp and early in Miami’s regular season. None forced an extended absence, but as James turns 30 this year and enters the second half of his career, he may need to manage his workload more carefully.
ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst reported last month that James’ decision to drop weight this offseason came in response to James entering training camp a year ago in not-ideal physical shape, which may have exacerbated his back issues.
Reporters said James appeared to be moving without limitation in post-practice shooting drills.
Speaking of the Cavs, you may have heard they acquired another star this summer with the trade for Minnesota big man Kevin Love.
Here’s one person who said he did not hear, though: Kevin Martin.
With Love out, Martin is the highest returning scorer on the Wolves (19.1 points/game a season ago), and it would stand to reason that Flip Saunders might run more of his offense through the 31-year-old guard.
Martin told local reporters that it was all news to him, though.
“I didn’t know Kevin Love got traded until yesterday,” Martin said with a straight face at Monday’s annual media day in Minneapolis, according to Star Tribune reporter Jerry Zgoda. “I’m not big on looking at blogs and all that.”
The wildest part? Per Zgoda’s report, Martin spent part of his summer in Ohio.
UPDATE: Martin tells USA Today‘s Sam Amick that he was kidding.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.