Many people described LeBron James going on national television to announce his divorce from the Cavaliers as pouring salt in a new wound. That may be how many fans feel but the salt to the Cavs in the entire ordeal was not the TV show. That came in the ensuing 10 days when they saw the type of contract James signed, and his actions after he left Greenwich, Conn. When James signed his last contract with the Cavs, as is well-known, he opted to take less than the maximum contract and settled for three years so that he would be a free agent this summer. Though that may seem like a long time, from a development standpoint in the NBA, it isn't. The Cavs were "on the clock" as it were, especially during the past two seasons as it was obvious teams like the Knicks, Nets and Heat were clearing cap space to get ready for a shot at James. The team bet "short" on a lot of roster moves in an effort to keep the team as competitive as possible at that instant. This included making trades for older players like Ben Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison, all deals that James pushed for because he wanted to win a title as soon as possible. During the past two summers when free agents the Cavs were interested in called James, he was non-committal about his future. He hoped players would come play with him but he was not on the front of the recruiting lines. He was also unwilling to give any sign he was going to be in Cleveland long term. These tactics cost the Cavs several players, most notably Trevor Ariza last summer, who did not sign with the Cavs after not getting a commitment from James. Like leaving in free agency, this is absolutely James' right as a premier player. Forcing his team to spend money and stay competitive in the short term is him looking out for his best interests. The Cavs gladly accepted the gamble and nearly every other team in the league would have accepted the same circumstances to have a player like James. But then James signed a six-year contract with the Heat and instantly began recruiting other free agents. He called up former teammates Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jawad Williams. Ilgauskas signed a free-agent contract with the Miami Heat on Saturday and will now play for a team other than the Cavaliers for the first time in his NBA career. James also pitched friend Mike Miller. He waited at the airport for Derek Fisher's private jet to land so he could make a personal plea for him to come to Miami. There's probably been a lot more that has not become public. Again, this is of course his right and prerogative. A star player should want players to come to his team. And now that he's signed for six years, the free agents are comfortable in coming. It is no wonder Miller signed for five years. What the Cavs want to know is why, despite doing everything James asked and attempting to trade for as many top players as they could, they were not afforded anywhere near the same opportunity as James is already giving a team he's been with for less than two weeks. In his comments in ESPN's "Sunday Conversation" last weekend, James blamed Cavs owner Dan Gilbert for not considering the long term. What the Cavs wanted to scream at the TV and have been seething about privately all during the Vegas Summer League is how could they when James himself had them shackled to the short term. http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/07/it_was_after_lebron_james_sign.html
