Trade & FA 2024-25:

[LukaMVP]

maybe at his age with four rings around his fingers Klay may prefer to play close to his home tbh. only way we outbid LA is by doing s&t with GS. Dallas offer more money and better chances for another ring, while LA is the choice of leisure~ so yes it's pretty much a choice up to himself.

[SleepingHero]

Dalton Trigg (@dalton_trigg)
They appeared to put all their eggs in the PG basket, potentially burning a bridge with Klay in the process.

[Jym]

Zero chance LeBron gives up 16 million. He's not Dirk.

he took way less to originally sign with the heat

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral)
Caleb Martin is expected to leave the Heat in free agency, per @IraHeatBeat

He definitely will be fielding calls. Good plug-in guy.

[BigDirk41]

he took way less to originally sign with the heat

ESPN reported that he gave he gave up 15 million to sign with the heat. That's more than I realized. Good for him. I stand corrected.

[LukaMVP]

OUT. 

I can see Thompson being better here than most can, apparently, so I'm with you a little, but I'm NOT getting into a bidding war over a 34 year old non all-star. 

Green is enough. Either he wants to play here or he doesn't. If his interest in Dallas in totally contingent on who can pay him the most or who can offer the most goodies to GS, I am so out you'll never know I was in.

agree. Klay is a good player to have, but only for the right price - less than 20m/yr in salary and basically no asset cost in acquiring him. if not, just follow the path that's worked so well for us, that's to seek younger players who are not overpaid and can still improve.

[SleepingHero]

That's $16 million in the first year, right? Many, many million over the course of his deal.

Yes. If Lebron cuts out 16 mil from the first year, his 3 year contract will be 3yrs/113mil. A far cry from his reported 3 years 162 mil he was eligible for.

A total 49 mil paycut for Lebron if he wants to sign an MLE guy

[SleepingHero]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
As we've been reporting for 24-plus hours: Klay Thompson's departure from the Golden State Warriors looks increasingly imminent ... with LeBron James hopeful, per league sources today, that the Lakers can mount a bid to challenge Dallas.

Friday's story: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-ne...oming-free

[SleepingHero]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
As we've been reporting for 24-plus hours: Klay Thompson's departure from the Golden State Warriors looks increasingly imminent ... with LeBron James hopeful, per league sources today, that the Lakers can mount a bid to challenge Dallas.

Friday's story: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-ne...oming-free

Reading this tweet tells me that Dallas is in the driver seat when it comes to Klay. The fact that "Lebron is hopeful the Lakers can challenge Dallas" is very cagey wording. 

I'd be shocked if Lebron is seriously considering a near 50 mil paycut for an MLE level target.

[BigDirk41]

Yes. If Lebron cuts out 16 mil from the first year, his 3 year contract will be 3yrs/113mil. A far cry from his reported 3 years 162 mil he was eligible for.

A total 49 mil paycut for Lebron if he wants to sign an MLE guy

If that's accurate, I don't see him giving up 49 million. That would be crazy. Maybe he will, but damn that's a ton of money.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine)
As we've been reporting for 24-plus hours: Klay Thompson's departure from the Golden State Warriors looks increasingly imminent ... with LeBron James hopeful, per league sources today, that the Lakers can mount a bid to challenge Dallas.

Friday's story: https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-ne...oming-free

Christ...Stein makes it sound like he's agreed with Dallas unless Lakers can convince him otherwise.

[SleepingHero]

I can also see being petty as ever when it comes to this.

I think Klay wants to win a ring so bad to try and not only prove to the Warriors franchise that they fucked up by not extending him, but it also gives him bragging rights over Draymond and Steph. The 2 guys the Warriors took after over him.

[KillerLeft]

Yes. If Lebron cuts out 16 mil from the first year, his 3 year contract will be 3yrs/113mil. A far cry from his reported 3 years 162 mil he was eligible for.

A total 49 mil paycut for Lebron if he wants to sign an MLE guy

And there are ALREADY tweets that he'll seek the max if the Lakers can't get somebody good enough, and that he needs a deal before Team USA camp starts, meaning the Lakers have basically a week to get this done. 

Might be a case of putting the Lakers in a situation they can't win, knowing he's going to get his money and the credit for sacrificing. 

Then again, we might find out they're getting Thompson, DeRozan, whoever at this time tomorrow.

[Jym]

ESPN reported that he gave he gave up 15 million to sign with the heat. That's more than I realized. Good for him. I stand corrected.

And I was thinking it was more than that

[KillerLeft]

I am now growing worried about what this might look like.

Are the Lakers being used here to leverage Dallas, or the other way around?

[DanSchwartzgan]

Oh ok so Klay will be going to the Lakers.

The good news is the Lakers can't get Thompson and Jones Jr. into the same exception.

[KillerLeft]

If the Mavericks pay more than we thought they'd have to on a contract and/or give up draft capital and/or a young player other than Green in this deal, I'll feel pretty silly for preemptively defending it.

[SkenfromLMF]

Hell to the no...lol

Zero chance LeBron gives up 16 million. He's not Dirk.

All he has to do is sign for 1 year and then he is Bird eligible again next year. IF he continues the 1 year discount choice until LA gets to a point they will not be hard capped then he gets his money. IF he takes a discount, it will NOT be for 3 years.
In fact his course will end a LOT LIKE DIRK!

[Tyler]

There’s already an article out about LA chasing 3 different players. It’s their typical bluster wrapped in a package that makes LeBron sound magnanimous.

[LukaMVP]

it's dependent upon klay's ambition level and if he still wants a ring so bad then Dallas should be an easy choice for him tbh. Also, MLE would be a derisory offer for him given his "pride", so he wouldn't accept it imho even if it's from LA.