Marc Stein To The Rescue

The Cavs, though, are still in a pretty good spot. James, for starters, is a certifiably proud Ohioan, which has to help. What happens if they make one more trade for one more difference-making sidekick this season or next? What happens if they actually manage to win it all once before LeBron's contract expires? The Cavs better have a convincing championship plan to hit James with when he's free to leave, because the closest thing to a sure thing in this whole process is what we were told this week by one source close to LeBron: "He knows that championships will determine his legacy." Then again, they're not that far off with what they've got right now to surround their potential 22, 10 and 10 guy.

We're convinced that this could all be much worse for Clevelanders, too, no matter how they've suffered for decades in various stadiums and arenas. Lusting after their LeBron isn't personal, or even original. Orlando lived with the same panic and insecurities every day of Shaquille O'Neal's first four seasons, except for one crucial difference.

The Magic Kingdom's Hall of Fame-bound, larger-than-life superstar, if my recollections are right, sure seemed more determined to leave than LeBron does.

The main purpose of Stein's brilliant article was to point out that it's still too early for anybody to lock in any plans a good 600 days before LeBron is a free agent. He pointed to the example of how Kobe Bryant was supposed to be traded to Chicago in October of 2007 and eight months later was playing in the NBA Finals alongside Pau Gasol in a Laker jersey.

Let's get this straight right now: LeBron is not going to Detroit. He's also not going to East f'ing Rutherford, New Jersey, no matter who the 1.47 percent minority owner is.

When this crap started at the beginning of LeBron's career, it was all about the "endorsement kicker" in his Nike contract. Some said it was bull, including, at first, our guy Brian Windhorst back in the Akron Beacon Journal. But to a casual bystander, LeBron James in New York or Los Angeles made sense—at least, as much as it pains me, compared to Cleveland.

But Detroit compared to Cleveland? East Rutherford, New Jersey?

Back during the first go-round of this nonsense during LB's rookie contract, we tirelessly pointed to several things.

First, the fact that under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, no team can offer LeBron James more money than the Cavs. It's called the "Larry Bird Rule," and it's the very definition of homecourt advantage.

It would have come into play with Carlos Boozer had Boozer been with the Cavs for at least three years, which makes the fact that Gund and Paxson didn't pick up that team option in '04 even the more baffling. But I digress.

The Cavs will be able to offer roughly six-years and $152 million in 2010. When you want to talk numbers for 2010, that's the trump card. Any other team—any other team—

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