Cleveland Cavaliers' Payroll Might Just Be the Most Expensive in NBA History
The Cleveland Cavaliers' payroll might just be the most expensive in the history of NBA. The team's roster might reportedly hit $300 million next year if LeBron James stays with the franchise and chooses to re-sign in Cleveland and exercise his $35.6-million player option for the next season.
In an ESPN report published earlier this week, ESPN correspondent Brian Windhorst noted that following last week's trade, the Cavaliers have placed themselves in a position to break records if they decide to keep their new roster together. It is also important to note that the Cavaliers also don't mind spending since Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has never put his front office on a budget.
When the Cavaliers traded for George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and Larry Nance, Jr. this season, the team boosted its salary and luxury tax by at least $10 million, their tax payment by $50 million and their overall payroll by $190 million. That move already made the Cavaliers' payroll the second highest in NBA history, next to the Brooklyn Nets' $193 million during the 2013-2014 season.
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According to Windhorst, James' return to Cleveland would push the Cavaliers' salaries to at least $158 million and their luxury tax to $149 million, making their total payroll $308 million. He described that as an astronomical mark, although he also noted that it might simply be the price to keep a championship contender built around James.
Windhorst said that while the Cavaliers' salary boost intends to send a message to James that they are supporting him, it might also be the team's move towards laying the foundation for change. However, he said the executives of the Cavaliers have maintained that this is not the plan, and that Gilbert is only focused on winning and not on the team's bottom line.
Either way, the offseason is shaping up to be one of the most expensive for Cleveland because either the state needs to pay a huge payroll bill or they need to pay for the Cavaliers' inability to keep James, who is reportedly planning to depart in free agency.
