Cavs Free Agency: Irving Extended, LeBron coming home?

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Eastern Conference forward LeBron James (6) of the Miami Heat tries to take the ball away from guard Kyrie Irving (2) of the Cleveland Cavaliers during practice for the 2013 NBA all star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; 2014 Eastern Conference All-Stars forward LeBron James (Heat) (6) reacts with guard Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) (2) during the practice session at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

WHAT ARE THE VARIABLES?

The first (and most important) variable is money. The James camp has stressed that they’re looking for maximum money, which means many teams instantly saw their hopes and dreams crushed. With the Irving extension not kicking in until the 2015-16 season, the Cavs have roughly $33.6 million in total salaries for the 2014-15 season, according to HoopsHype. That leaves enough on the table for James to sign a maximum deal, but the problem lies with the surrounding cast.

The reason James left in the first place (and the reason he likely opted out of his current deal) was because he felt the composition of the roster wasn’t good enough for him to win the NBA Championship. With all due respect to the Cavs, Irving and James together isn’t going to be enough to get it done. They’ll need to surround James with more talent, similar to how veterans flocked to him for minimum (or at least discounted) contracts. Where is that money going to come from? The Cavs can fill up the roster with minimum contracts, but that’s not going to be enough.

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