Could Rockets land LeBron?
LOS ANGELES – Maverick Carter made his way around the Staples Center floor a week ago, saying hello to friends and associates alike before finding his courtside seat for the Houston Rockets-Lakers game.
When you’re the 36-year-old business manager of LeBron James, a Los Angeles-based confidant who grew up with the Cleveland star and has become a mogul, eyes tend to follow you. That was the case for Carter, whose presence piqued the interest of Lakers fans who have been hearing the game’s greatest player could sign with their team in free agency next summer.
But as the Rockets ran roughshod over the Lakers, with James Harden and Chris Paul combining for 57 points and 15 assists while Lonzo Ball failed to hit a shot for the home team, a question emerged: What if Houston, and not the Lakers or James’ hometown Cavs, landed James seven months from now?
The prospect isn’t as outlandish as you might think. While James has made it clear he won’t deliberate his uncertain future until the Cavs season is complete, there is strong belief in Rockets circles that they’ll have a legitimate shot at landing the four-time MVP. Rival executives also believe the Rockets will have a real chance. Once you dissect it and get past the noise about the Lakers and even the compelling case for the up-and-coming 76ers, it makes all sorts of sense.
Through the talk of how James’ business dealings and entertainment interests in Los Angeles are the proverbial bread crumbs to his path there, or that his recent purchase of a $23 million home in Brentwood is another clear sign he’s coming, there’s one factor being overlooked: James’ desire to win it all again.
Leaving the Eastern Conference after 15 seasons would be bold, with the defending champion Golden State Warriors looking like a budding dynasty.
All roads lead to Houston with that kind of logic, factoring in that one of his closest friends (Paul) is dominating alongside the MVP front-runner (Harden), who won a gold medal with James in the 2012 London Olympics. As the season’s halfway point nears, no team looks more capable of challenging the defending champs than Houston.
Houston is 20-4 and fifth in defensive rating, an identity typically required of would-be champs. The Rockets have a deep-pocketed new owner in Tilman Fertitta, who paid a league-record $2.2 billion to buy them in September, as well as synergy between the front office and coaching staff that superstars covet, led by always-aggressive general manager Daryl Morey and innovative coach Mike D’Antoni.
Adding LeBron to that mix would be nothing short of basketball magic, no matter what it means for his business interests.
As Carter said in a November interview with Rich Eisen, basketball will dictate James’ decision. Even with Carter spending his days running the Los Angeles-based Uninterrupted platform and Springhill Entertainment companies they founded together, he insisted that James’ precious playing days will remain the priority.
“These days it doesn’t matter (where you play for business purposes), because you can be known and be a star from anywhere — anywhere in the world,” Carter told Eisen.
As for how Houston could find a way to give max salary contracts starting at $35 million annually to James (who has a player option worth $35.3 million for next season) and Paul (who will be a free agent) without the necessary cap space, Morey would have to become a salary cap gymnast. The NBA salary cap is expected to be $101 million next season, and the Rockets are capped out. But Morey is one of the league’s renowned risk takers and could have trades lined up for players such as Ryan Anderson and others who would have to go in order to sign one of the greatest of all time.
It’s also seen as possible that, like Kevin Durant did last summer with the Warriors, Paul could take less money to make James’ salary fit.
This is today’s NBA, the wherethere’s-a-will-there’s-a-way approach to star collecting.
Only time will tell if it’s enough to make Carter a regular at the Toyota Center next season.