Bleacher Report – Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James is officially listed as a game-time decision for Tuesday’s home matchup with the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena due to an ankle injury. Dave McMenamin of ESPN noted James participated in the Cavs’ morning shootaround session, but the team didn’t immediately announce whether he would play in the season-opening contest.
It wouldn’t be the NBA without everyone catering to LeBron’s every whim. Dude’s always gotta make the story about him. Legit 8 hours before the game and he doesn’t know if he can play?
A source familiar with LeBron James’ thinking tells ESPN that James is a “total game-time” decision. Tuesday… https://t.co/c1EnMpSUX7
Former #Cavs GM David Griffin tells us “There’s no way LeBron misses this game so the game time decision thing is nonsense.” pic.twitter.com/0TvjGVNRQ1
He just wants to control the story, he doesn’t want all the headlines to be about Kyrie Irving coming back to Cleveland. LeBron wants it to be about LeBron. Not “the kid.”
Chicago Sun Times – No stranger to organizational dysfunction, Jimmy Butler was warned Tuesday night to stay away from the Cavaliers. According to a Cleveland source close to the situation, several of the Cavaliers who had been prodding Butler to push for a trade from the Bulls the last five days were now warning him to stay away from a suddenly volatile situation.
Jesus. Christ. Cleveland, this is why you can’t have nice things. A live look at the state of the Cavaliers right now:
What a goddamn disaster. You guys were literally JUST in the NBA Finals. Sure, you got smacked down by Golden State, but you are without a doubt the second best team in the NBA. Yet somehow, the Cavs are now in complete disarray. They shitcanned the GM the *same day* he was balls deep in trade talks with other teams. Now there are rumblings that LeBron may be bolting town for Los Angeles sooner than later. Bill Simmons, who knows a thing or two about the NBA, is convinced its going to happen.
With that shit storm spiraling around, Cavs players are apparently telling Jimmy Butler to stay the hell away. The GM is out, LeBron could be gone after next year, no one knows what the hell is going on. So Butler reportedly is saying ah nevermind I’ll stay in Chicago. Butler would rather stay on a 41-win team than go to the team that just played in the NBA Finals (and the last 3 years in a row) and has arguably the best player in the world on its roster. Yeesh.
“[Kyrie] Irving has been contacting some of his former Team USA mates, letting them know that he might be willing to push for a trade, especially with the latest drama unfolding in Cleveland..Through back channels, Irving let it be known that he’d be interested in coming to Chicago.”
Oh man it is gonna be FUN watching what happens throughout the NBA today.
ESPN – The Cleveland Cavaliers have parted ways with general manager David Griffin, the team announced Monday. Griffin’s contract was up at the end of the month, and after extensive talks with owner Dan Gilbert, no agreement on an extension was reached..Cavs star LeBron James, who sources said was not consulted on the decision, tweeted out support of Griffin.
Jesus christ, ya drop 2 out of 3 NBA Finals and all of a sudden Cleveland is turning into a complete shitshow. Canning the GM days before the draft, while the guy is also balls deep into trade discussions just reeks of an impulse decision. Or who knows, maybe Griffin was sick of hearing shit from both ends, getting badgered by ownership and by LeBron, and just said FUCK THIS I’m out.
Either way, this is classic LeBron “I’m not the GM” James through and through. Griffin built the second best team in the NBA and did just about everything LeBron wanted. He traded Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love. The No. 1 overall pick and LeBron said send that teenager packing I need the white boy who can hit some 3’s and Griffin did it. He gave a max contract to Tristan fucking Thompson.
LeBron bitched the team didn’t have enough talent so Griffin traded for Andrew Bogut (who actually got hurt) and brought in guys like Kyle Korver and Derron Williams. Then the Cavs just happened to run into an all-time team in the Warriors and it wasn’t good enough. Instead of sitting down and figuring out, okay how the hell are we gonna beat these guys in Golden State, ya know, like a competitor would do – instead LeBron throws a bitch fit and gets the GM fired.
LeBron is basically the Littlefinger of the NBA. GM’s getting ousted, coaches getting fired, nonsensical trades and deals being made. The guy just loves the chaos.
LeBron’s little buddy Brian Windhorst can report all he wants how LeBron was “surprised” by the move:
If no one appreciated you Griff I did, and hopefully all the people of Cleveland! Thanks for what u did for the team for 3 yrs! We got us 1🏆
But everyone knows whats up. Griffin was just LeBron’s latest fall guy. He’s the new Mike Brown. The new David Blatt. I’m not the coach, I’m not the GM, you guys built this shitty team not me so I’m gonna throw a temper tantrum and threaten to leave unless you axe this guy.
And that is why we don’t negotiate with terrorists. You pamper these guys and give them everything they want and then they turn around and throw everyone under the bus for making the exact moves you wanted them to make. Sorry LeBron, the Cavs are literally barren of assets to trade for a guy like Jimmy Butler or Paul George because of all these fucking moves you wanted the Cavs to make over the years.
Welp, godspeed to the next guy who’s got to take that job and get cucked by LeBron every day. Rumors are picking up steam now though that Chauncey Billups may actually take the job, which is probably the best thing for the Cavs despite Chauncey Billups having zero experience in the role. Billups can be the Ty Lue of the front office. Ty Lue, the guy who legit told LeBron to go fuck himself, was the best thing for LeBron. So there’s your blueprint Chauncey, godspeed.
ESPN – “As the Cleveland Cavaliers finalize a deal to acquire sharpshooter Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, LeBron James declared that the work is not done for the defending champions.”
LeBron has it so, so good. The guy is 1,000% calling all the shots in Cleveland. He’s assembled the team he wants. He made the Cavs trade the No. 1 overall pick in Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love (who he won’t even let in team Insta’s) and singlehandedly got the coach fired last year. Hell he probably even picks the Gatorade flavors in the lockerroom.
But if any moves go sour, if any acquisitions or trades flop, hey man I’m not the GM. YES YOU ARE. Well, now LeBron (I mean the Cavs GM David Griffin) has made another great move in trading (reported) for Kyle Korver. That’s just what this team needs to make life even more unfair for the rest of the East. But put all that aside, before Korver even lands in Believeland, LBJ is already dropping quotes like this to the media:
“We still got a couple more things we need to do,” James said at Cavs shootaround Friday morning in preparation for their game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. “We got to get a point guard.” It was a continuation of the point guard drum James was beating after the Cavs lost to Chicago on Wednesday. “Yeah, it’s my last time saying it,” James said. “We need a point guard.”
Man life is good when you’re LeBron. You’ve got an entire franchise by the balls on continuous 1-Year deals with the threat of opting out always looming. You get to be the de facto GM except for when shit hits the fan. And now he’s just publicly demanding additional moves to the press.
“With the trade for Korver still not official, Lue was initially coy about what his addition could mean. “What shooter?” Lue said. “Like me? Well, shit, if you add me, man, butt-naked shots, nobody around, I’d probably shoot 54 percent.”
The 300s 