USA Today reported Monday that LeBron James is upset with the Cavs’ offseason efforts. They’ve done relatively little while teams like Houston, Boston and Golden State have gotten better.
But the Timberwolves’ moves this offseason have also played a major part in James’ frustrations.
The Cavaliers were in pursuit of Jimmy Butler in the weeks leading up to the draft. And USA Today says they were nearing a deal … that is, until Cleveland decided to part ways with former GM David Griffin in the midst of all the trade talks.
And who swooped in and landed Butler days later? Minnesota of course.
But it doesn’t stop there. James was also active in recruiting Jamal Crawford and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today said Crawford’s signing with Minnesota over Cleveland was the one that “stung.”
The Cavs only offered the three-time Sixth Man of the Year the league minimum salary of $2.3 million, when they could have gone up to $5.19 million, Zillgitt said. And Minnesota offered $4.45 million a season, with Crawford choosing the Timberwolves.
To be fair, there were conflicting reports about whether a Butler deal with the Cavs would have happened.
K.C Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported the a deal was a longshot because Cleveland couldn’t find a third team to provide the assets the Bulls demanded for Butler. Fellow NBA insider Marc Stein also said Butler was reluctant to commit his long-term future to Cleveland.
But bottom line: Both players passed up or were concerned about an opportunity to play with the four-time NBA MVP, who has been to seven straight NBA Finals.
Instead, it appears they not only want to end Minnesota’s 13-year playoff drought, but might also believe the Wolves are on the verge of being a contender.
