NBA Rumors: Rumblings on LeBron James' Future, Kenyon Martin and More
LeBron James can't possibly leave Cleveland now, right? Right?
Believe it or not, there are some rumblings that the King could once again bolt the homeland for greener pastures if things don't turn around for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the rest of the 2014-15 season.
Rumors surrounding James are clearly the loudest in the NBA right now, but they are far from the only ones. Here is a look at some details on the latest whispers from around the Association.
LeBron James
Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group provided a head-turning update on James' future with Cleveland:
"James, who turns 30 today, has no intention of compromising his prime years playing for a sputtering organization. He can opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent.
Given the massive scrutiny he would endure if he departed Cleveland a second time, if his hand is forced, I'm told he won't hesitate to make the appropriate business decision if it means bolting.
"
This all feels a bit premature.
Sure, the Cavaliers are not exactly running rampant through the league, as so many hyperbolic fans thought they would when James and Kevin Love teamed up with Kyrie Irving, but the Miami Heat had a growing period when James took his talents to South Beach as well.
Plus, Cleveland would be safely in the playoffs if the season ended today, and isn't that the most important thing? Any team with James in a playoff series has an excellent opportunity to win regardless of its regular-season record.
Still, James didn't exactly inspire much confidence with his recent quotes on coach David Blatt, via Haynes: "Listen man, I don't pay no bills around here. I play. He's our coach, I mean, what other coach do we have?"
Some would argue that James has played the role of coach more than Blatt has, and Haynes calls the players out a bit in his piece for their poor body language and overall disengagement with the coaching staff.
Given the over-the-top love affair NBA fans were subjected to when James went back to Cleveland this offseason, it is shocking to hear rumors like this already. Imagine the backlash James would face if he left, especially from his adoring fans in northeast Ohio. Burned jerseys would be the least of it.
Perhaps fans and James himself should give the Cavaliers a bit more time before talk about his departure picks up.
Kenyon Martin
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports provided an update on Kenyon Martin:
"Veteran free-agent forward Kenyon Martin is scheduled to work out for Milwaukee Bucks coach and former teammate Jason Kidd on Tuesday, a source told Yahoo Sports.
Martin was headed to Cleveland on Tuesday morning to meet with Kidd a day before the Bucks face the Cleveland Cavaliers, a source said.
"
Martin is 37 years old, but he could be a valuable piece off the bench for a team. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds a game for the New York Knicks last season and would at least bang around down low on the boards.
The Cavaliers may be the marquee team in this rumor, but the Milwaukee Bucks are also battling for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. There is also a degree of familiarity between Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd and Martin, as they played together for the New Jersey Nets and the Knicks.
The Bucks need some more bodies after Jabari Parker tore his ACL, and Martin could at least be a temporary answer.
Cleveland is also intriguing because Anderson Varejao is out for the season, which has created a hole in the big-man rotation. Martin’s prime may be behind him, but he would certainly give the Cavs some much-needed depth down low.
New York Knicks
Spears provided an update on the Knicks in a separate piece: “The Knicks are not interested in fire-sale trades yet despite their franchise-worst start, one NBA general manager told Yahoo Sports.”
There is really no other way to put this: The Knicks are terrible this season, and the future doesn't look much brighter if there aren't any drastic changes. The good news for New York is that there should be some cap space available this offseason so it can attack free agents such as Marc Gasol, but the fact that the team isn't interested in some fire-sales yet is somewhat surprising.
Anything that could help the Knicks shed current salary and accelerate the rebuilding process should be explored, although they will likely keep some of the pieces on this year’s team in hopes of improving next year.
For now, the only thing Knicks fans can do is look toward the future with a hopeful eye. Even that is difficult when you are 5-28.
Follow me on Twitter:
