LeBron James to opt out, exercise early termination option according to agent
By Mike Dyce
Miami Heat fans have been waiting to find out the fate of their “Big Three” after the NBA Finals ended with a blow out loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Would LeBron James test free agent waters and potentially leave?
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According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, “LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul has told Heat LeBron will exercise early termination option.” Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski said his sources confirmed the report.
Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that LeBron James is leaving the Miami Heat. If they wanted to add another superstar like Carmelo Anthony, the “Big Three” would likely need to opt out to sign smaller deals to clear cap space for a star like Anthony.
That means news about Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh opting out might be coming before the end of June.
Of course it could mean that LeBron James wants to explore what other options there are on the table and what else is out there, like a return to Cleveland for instance.
Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo thinks that LeBron should have doubts about the Heat and his future remaining with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
“I definitely think he should have some doubts [about the Heat], especially the way they played in the Finals,” Rondo said, via Dime Magazine. “It doesn’t look to great how they ended the season. It’s not about making the Finals for those guys, it’s about winning them…
“If I was LeBron I might have some doubts about staying in Miami… I don’t think he had any help in the Finals. How good do they get from now? Where do they go now? As far as the cap room, if everybody opts in everybody’s making $20 million next year as far as the Big Three. You have two or three million dollars to spend; who wants to go play for a minimum-level [contract]? It’ll be tough to get guys there to play.
“You’ll see him in a different jersey next year” – Chandler Parsons
“The way [Dwyane Wade] showed up in the Finals, I might have some doubts if I were LeBron. My sidekick guy, my go-to guy [playing poorly], if I don’t have the ball rolling who can I defer to? It didn’t look like Wade – or even Chris Bosh – were [that guy] in the Finals.”
Rondo isn’t the only NBA player to think LeBron James would be wise to look at other options, Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons thinks James will be in a different jersey next season.
“I think if they would have won the championship it would have been a different story and they would have come back to do it again but he’s got so much responsibility, he’s obviously one of the best players if not the best player, I think them losing will make him make a move and opt out and you’ll see him in a different jersey next year,” Parsons said.
Parsons added: “I just don’t think he’ll be back on the Heat, I think he has done all he can do there and it is time for him to move on.”