There is no time to waste after the NBA Finals. Despite the brilliance of the San Antonio Spurs, just minutes after the NBA Finals concluded Sunday night began the talk of the Decision II.
To credit the NBA, the league has always done a marvelous job of trimming the fat. The NBA draft is just eight days away, with free agency beginning just a week after that. There’s no time to waste, and thus never a shortage of headlines. Well, until the dog days of August. But let’s focus on what’s relevant now.
That would be LeBron James and his running mates: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Four years ago they shifted the power of the NBA to South Beach, forming one of the most unlikely alliances in sports history. Together, they have never failed to reach an NBA Finals, winning two-of-four.
Not too shabby, right?
Well…
Not so fast.
It all starts with LeBron James. He is the best player on the planet. But he has not given any indication on what he plans to do. So until LeBron deciphers some clarity and picks a direction, it will be hard to predict the immediate future of the NBA. Here’s more from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald:
James said he hasn’t decided whether to exercise his early termination clause but “being able to have flexibility is what we all would like.”
LeBron passed on an opportunity to say whether he intends to stay with the Heat or whether he wants to look elsewhere.
“I haven’t even begun to wrap my mind about it. I need to get away with my family before I start to think about what will happen next.”
Among factors that will influence his decision, James cited family and a desire to win. “For me, I just want to win,” he said, “and that’s all that matters to me.”
He said the Heat doesn’t need to tell him anything, per se, to influence him to stay.
“I understand what this team, this franchise, brings to the table.”
After the season that was, it’s probably in LeBron’s best interest to take some time away from the game. He carried a heavier burden than any other player in the league not named Kevin Durant. His teammates disappeared on him in the Finals, including Dwyane Wade, who sat out more than a third of the season just to maintain enough health to bring his A-game when it mattered most.
But that backfired, clearly, so LeBron is left with quite a bit to think about. James said after he vacations with his family, he is going to sit down and talk with Wade and Bosh.
“I think there will be a conversation between the three of us,” he said. “I’m not sure what Dwyane is thinking right now.”
Asked if he would talk to outside free agents about possibly signing here before making a decision, LeBron said he didn’t even know the list of free agents and did not necessarily feel it’s his place to do that before Pat Riley determines which players he wants to pursue.
Asked three times in some variation if the Big Three might be interested in taking less money like the Spurs’ Big Three, LeBron essentially deferred, showing no interest in addressing the matter.
While Bosh and Wade have not made any final decisions either, Bosh has been adamant that he would prefer to stay in Miami.
I want to be here. My family is here. I love working here. It’s a great place.
“We will talk with Riles, hear his plan, talk with our families and try to figure this out. I’m sure Riley has finite plan moving forward. It starts with listening to him. Eventually we will come together and figure this thing out. We feel that if we stay together, we can continue to compete. Everything is a possibility. That’s why they negotiate. But I want to be here.”
Spurs expect team to return in full
On the flip side, the San Antonio Spurs are riding high, and they play to continue to do so into next season as the defending champs. The memo came straight from Tony Parker:
“It will come to an end, but I don’t think next year,” Parker told reporters after the Spurs beat the Miami Heat Sunday in the NBA Finals for their fifth championship in 15 seasons. “I think everybody’s gonna come back.”
Parker believes his longtime teammate will return and join Manu Ginobili, Finals MVP Kawhi Leonardand himself as they try to defend their title.
Spurs owner Peter Holt agrees with Parker’s assessment.
“Tim and Manu are going to play until they die, so I think we are in pretty good shape,” Holt told reporters. “Tim and Manu want to play until they die, somewhat sincerely, actually.”
Duncan was very emotional after the Spurs won their fifth championship Sunday night, but continues to claim he will return if he believes he can still be effective.
There is no doubt that he can be after that display.
Duncan averaged 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 29 minutes per game during the regular season and 15 points and 10 rebounds during the playoffs. Add in his invaluable defense, knowledge and leadership, and there is no reason the Spurs should not be considered favorites in the West if the 38 year-old returns.
“I don’t see any reason, watching him play, why he can’t continue to be a great player,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said during Sunday’s celebration. “He’ll make that decision.”
Just like James, Wade and Bosh, Tim Duncan has a decision to make in the next two weeks that could alter the landscape of the NBA.
“I think I said it many times. There was not one season since I’m in the NBA that I really didn’t truly believe that we could have won it,” said Ginobili, who will turn 37 in July. “Every year we were up there. Sometimes we were No. 1, and we lost in the first round. Some other times we were seventh, and we had a shot at winning it.
“But playing with the teammates I’ve always played [with], coached by the guy that is coaching us, I always felt that we had a shot, and I truly never believed it was the last shot.”
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
He will either stay in or go back to Cleveland. . Any other option will ruin his legacy
Getting interesting. I understand Miami is thinking about getting Kyle Lowry, and interest is mutual.
Same as Melo deal, but Lowry would be cheaper. DWade would have to go along with exercising his ETO and getting a longer term deal for less per year. DWade might be more receptive to Lowry, because he is less of a threat than Melo.
Heat could still bring back Birdman, with Early Bird option, Haslem would accept his option, still have Cole under contract, and a mini-MLE to work with, for 8 players. Rest would be Vet Mins.