Just two days after the 2018 NBA Draft, former KU-signee Billy Preston has found his next home.
According to multiple media reports, including from Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania, Preston has agreed to join the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Kansas City Star's Gary Bedore also reported Preston will play in the NBA's Summer League. The largest session of the Summer League will take place in Las Vegas from July 6-17.
Preston, a five-star recruit out of high school, entered Lawrence with high expectations for his first year. After an exhibition contest, Preston noted that while he wasn’t starting, that was largely because of the team’s frontcourt depth. The plan was to use him off the bench to start games but to have him on the floor for a majority of the time — and to start in the second half.
However, his season hit a snag shortly thereafter. Preston missed KU’s opener after KU coach Bill Self said he missed curfew and then a class when he went to retrieve his illegally parked car. Less than two hours before the team’s second game against Kentucky, KU athletics announced Preston was being withheld while the school looked into the “financial picture” of the car he had been driving.
KU turned over information in its own investigation to the NCAA, but after not hearing back in a process that spilled into 2018, Preston opted to go overseas, signing with BC Igokea in Bosnia.
Preston only appeared in three games for his overseas club before undergoing an injury that forced him to return to the United States. The big man was invited to the combine, where he measured out at an impressive 6 foot 10 1/2 in shoes with a 7-2 wingspan. However, Preston opted not to participate in the five-on-five games at the event, meaning the only teams who had seen a good sample of his recent progress were those that invited the former Jayhawk for individual workouts.
Heading into the draft, Self noted Preston's draft stock was hard to nail down. He said he had heard from multiple teams that Preston was a first-round talent — a statement he reaffirmed following the draft — but that it was tricky since the teams hadn't had a ton of time to watch and get to know his game.
"Many Blessings come in disguises," Preston tweeted after not being selected in the draft. "In Due Time... #UNDRAFTED"
Still, those within the program have spoken highly of Preston's talent. Earlier in the summer, Norm Roberts, the KU big men coach, told Phog.net he sees Preston as an extremely versatile player.
“Has all the skills. Has all the skills,” Roberts said. “On a given day, Billy Preston can look like Paul George. On a given day, Billy Preston has the skills of Carmelo Anthony. On a given day, he’s got the length and the size very similar to a young Kevin Garnett.”
It remains to be seen what he'll do at the next level — as well as what the details of his signing are. It is extremely common for players to sign non-guaranteed deals or deals simply for the summer to test out what they can do with an NBA team. If he latches on with the Cavaliers, Preston will be joining a squad that has reached the NBA Finals in each of the last four seasons.
Man, I must be old. I read the name Billy Preston, and all I though of was:
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
it's a shot in the dark. he clearly has potential, so maybe a steal
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
He’s said it’s a family decision. Family has spent offseasons in LA for years. Ask yourself - as a kid, when family took you on summer vacation to Florida, Myrtle Beach, California… didn’t you leave wishing you could live there full time???…
Think it’s foolish to blindly assume the James family wants to continue to live in Northeast Ohio. Who’s to say the kids - who’ve enjoyed offseasons on West Coast - aren’t enamored w prospect of spending the rest of their childhoods there?
That said, Bronny Jr about to be in 8th grade. Natural breaking point b/t 8th and High School. That would be next summer. Basketball-wise, also becoming increasingly possible Lakers strike out on CP3, PG13 and Kawhi. LeBron not likely to make move there right now alone on-court…
As for the player option… Opt-in and he’s locked into CLE for one more year w/ no-trade. Opt-out and 1+1 with no-trade not likely as Dan is very reluctant to give another no-trade to him. LBJ signs 1+1? Small, but existing possibility LBJ could be traded mid-season…
Adding it all together, an opt-in might not be the signal of doom many assume it to be. Houston out of picture. Opt-in wouldn’t be to facilitate trade, it would be to lock in one last year in CLE without possibility of trade…
Sacrificing 1 year of security (second year of 1+1) in event of catastrophic injury small price to pay for LBJ in exchange for security of maintaining no-trade clause throughout upcoming season.
Gut feeling - long-term goal is for LeBron and family to land in LA. Believe that’s where they want to be in upcoming years, not NE Ohio. But fit and timing not right this offseason. Hence opt-in to maintain no-trade and preserve control throughout 2018-2019 season.
He’s said it’s a family decision. Family has spent offseasons in LA for years. Ask yourself - as a kid, when family took you on summer vacation to Florida, Myrtle Beach, California… didn’t you leave wishing you could live there full time???…
I know whenever I went on vacation the first thing I did when we GOT HOME, was sigh of relief. There's not place like home .
As far as Bronny Jr......do not take what playing with your best buds means to an 8th grader.
I am still leaning towards him leaving, but I find it hard to think the kids don't want to stay.
I'm starting to think he will opt in. As far as getting himself to a team he wants to go to, that's his best option. The Xavs cannot do a sign and trade because they are over the Tax Apron, and cannot receive a player back, unless they do something with a team like LA were most of the salary is traded into cap space, and the Cavs take little salary back in return.
If he opts in, they could still do a straight up trade with another team. The other team would just have to offer something worth doing.
I'm not positive about CBA rules, but I believe this is Lebrons last year to sign a 5 year supermax contract. If he does an opt in and trade, he might be able to sign an extension with his new team and get that supermax. But if he waits a year, or the Cavs refuse to trade him for peanuts, he would miss out on quite a bit of cash.
that 55 million he would leave on the table if he didn't sign here is pretty significant. We can make him the highest paid NBA player in history. That has to count for something given his ambitions professionally after bball. Building his legacy here is much more prolific than anywhere he could go, LA included. There are no ghosts to chase here. Sounds like PG13 might sign a 2 year deal with OKC anyways so that whole LA thing could be over before it began.. Lebron isn't going to LA to play with Lonzo ball...lol
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
gut feeling: it's awful timing to try and orchestrate something elsewhere THIS season.
Next year? probably easier with Kawhi/PG3/CP3/KD
Perhaps they all stick at their current place for 1 more year, then in 2019 gang up in LA
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
You guys can say that, but I believe the reality of the situation is that most people who are wealthy would surely choose the LA area over the Cleveland area.
You guys can say that, but I believe the reality of the situation is that most people who are wealthy would surely choose the LA area over the Cleveland area.
Yeah, but do they choose LA because it's a great city or because it's a good place to raise a family?
I think my point is that if you have big money, any locale would be fine. With that in mind, who would choose Boston, Philly, Cleveland, Houston over LA?
Some might say Miami because S. Beach is where it's at, but I'm not sure if LeBron would want to go to Miami considering how they are currently constructed.
I think that the weather being a determining factor for where an athlete will play his 82 game, 9 month season is shortsighted and only pushed by Bristol idiots who know they're only worth something because they are employed by ESPN and are afraid to move somewhere warmer.
LeBron is trying to win championships. Going to LA would be stupid.
I am leaning towards thinking that Lebron will play this year in Cleveland, and then make a move, if he wants to, next season.
We'll see.
He has actually caused a lot of the problems with attracting max talent by his refusal to sign a long term deal. No one wants to sign here for 4 or 5 years, only to have him bolt the following year.
The Cavs are right in wanting to develop young talent alongside their veterans.
It will be interesting to see what happens. Reports are that we should know in the next few days.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
I think if Lebron leaves, it will be for Houston. That is his best chance of getting past GS for a Finals win.
I hope he stays though. I am not sure what moves we can make to bring another all star to the team. Because we aren't beating GS with the roster we have.
I agree, and that's IF he wants to win championships. The problem is that there is no easy way of getting on those rosters without Cleveland facilitating some sort of trade. Plus he would have to opt-in to his current player option within a week or so here, and then let Cleveland work out the trade.
And I agree with you for the most part about LA too. The only way he could possibly win rings in LA is if they were to somehow acquire Paul George AND Kawhi and somehow not completely gut the team in the process. And the only way that is happening is if San Antonio basically gifts Kawhi to them. That's not happening. The only other way it happens is if they wait a year, *completely* gut their roster, and then sign all three as free agents next year, with all three at least taking some sort of pay-cut to get in on the roster. Even then, I can't see JUST the three of them getting past Golden State, unless the Warriors have some sort of internal meltdown.
I actually think Lebron wants to go to LA, but it makes zero sense to me. He'll be a 2nd round loss in the playoffs every year. He'll have to deal with Lavar Ball's nonsense. He'll move from a fan-base that worships him to a fan-base that will tell him that "Kobe would of made it to the Finals" every time he has that 2nd round exit. He'll likely be pulling an arguably heavier workload in LA, because the two all-stars he'll be with play arguably the same type of game he does and everyone else will be on vet minimums. And he'll get to live in his smaller mansion while enjoying crappy LA traffic everyday.
But hey, at least he can enjoy warm, smog-filled winters in LA.
I am leaning towards thinking that Lebron will play this year in Cleveland, and then make a move, if he wants to, next season.
There's an interesting component to this as well. Lebron just renegotiated some weird clause in the CBA. It used to be that players that would turn 36 in the final years of their contract, would have to have the years after 36 put on the cap numbers for the front years of the contract. That was to prevent teams from handing out a big contract to someone like Joe Smith (who I think is the reason this rule was put in place), where the team basically want an old vet for one year at something like $10 Million, but instead would give him $2 million across 5. So if those last 4 years were after he turned 36, then all $8 million of those years would get pushed to the first year.
This rule ended up burning Lebron a season or two ago, when he wanted to sign a max 5 year deal. The last year would of fallen under the "over 36" rule, and they would of had to spread out that money across the first four, meaning he would have to take less than the max for those four to squeeze it under cap rules. He just renegotiated this rule to an "over 38" rule, which I believe means this is his last year to get one more HUGE deal. If he waits until next year, I think he can only get a four-year max.
Philly has young stars yes, but BBall wise its a horrid place for him to go. No one on that team creates their own shot, and Simmons plays like LeBron. He's not nearly as good, but same style. They will be standing around doing nothing all game. It would be a horrible team X and O wise. Lebron knows that.
I don't think Philly is a fit either. Simmons and Fultz are horrible shooters. Simmons is ball dominant. Embiid would have to move out of the paint more often.
Additionally, I can't think of a single reason why LeBron's family and crew would want to make Philly their home.
IMO there are three places for him to choose from right now:
1. Lakers ... makes sense career/legacy wise ... and for his son. BUT, a lot hinders on Kawhi/PG/CP3
2. Cavs ... sign one more year, try to salvage/improve however possible
3. Celtics ... far fetched, but a great franchise, coach, young talent, etc.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
let's just say he goes to LA or Philly or Houston and wins 1-2 championships on a super team.
When he enters the HOF, which team is he most associated with? What hat does he don?
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
1. Lakers ... makes sense career/legacy wise ... and for his son. BUT, a lot hinders on Kawhi/PG/CP3
I don't understand the Legacy angle with the Lakers though. He moves from a team where he's undoubtedly the best player in franchise history, to one where the fans probably don't even think he's their best player this decade. And unless the Lakers get some amazingly beneficial trades, he's not really joining a roster that much better than the Cavs. He'd likely lose in the 2nd round as opposed to in the Finals. I guess his son plays in warmer weather though?
Quote:
3. Celtics ... far fetched, but a great franchise, coach, young talent, etc.
They would need major help from the Cavs though. Lebron would also have to opt-in for a trade to happen. I just don't see the Celtics doing this though, as they would have to trade away a number of their young pieces to make it work, just to get a few years of what's left of Lebron's window. They also gave up assets to get Kyrie on board, and would probably have to trade him away again, because he doesn't want to play with Lebron.
His best bet to return is to stay here and with some slight retooling they've got to be odds on favorite again. He ain't getting there from the West...
LeBron James sat down at the podium following what would turn out to be the final win of his season -- 48 minutes played in a Game 7 victory in Boston to send him to his eighth straight NBA Finals -- and made a statement before even uttering a word.
"There is no magic pill," read the embroidered, white letters across the front of his black baseball cap, which came into focus as James grabbed the microphone and peered out at the reporters in front of him.
For a man who often finds a way to make his clothes send a message -- remember his "Ultimate Warrior" T-shirt after the victory in the 2016 Finals? -- it was worth reading into the hint behind the hat.
One plausible interpretation can read the line akin to the slogan Nike plastered on tees celebrating James when he won his first championship with the Miami Heat: "Earned not given."
For someone with so many natural abilities, James has fought off the perception his entire career that he's this good simply because he was built with more size and athleticism than his peers. However, he feels the care he places on his body and the attention he pays to his craft are the real reasons he has been able to be successful. That's the reason he felt a connection to Conor McGregor when the MMA fighter said, "There is no talent here. This is hard work. This is an obsession."
There's no magic pill that allowed James, now 33 years old and coming off his 15th season, to play in all 82 games this past year. No magic pill that got him to eight Finals in a row. No magic pill that allowed him to stay near the top of his sport nearly two decades after he burst onto the national scene as a teenager.
Had the Cleveland Cavaliers lost that Game 7 to the Celtics, the hat also could have been looked at as a clue to James' impending decision about free agency, and it would have been just as appropriate.
There is no magic pill that will immediately put James on a team that will be favored to beat the Golden State Warriors and line up ring No. 4 for him. No magic pill that will make Philadelphia's young core less injury-prone and more playoff-tested. No magic pill that will allow Houston to keep all its ancillary pieces and still go out and add James to its stellar backcourt of James Harden and Chris Paul. No magic pill that will help the Lakers stockpile talent just because they're Los Angeles.
Which brings us to the Cavs.
The team with which he has spent 11 of his 15 seasons as a pro and that plays its games about 40 miles north from his hometown of Akron, Ohio -- in front of fans, as he described during the Eastern Conference semifinals, who make James think, "They know me." The team that has several people close to James on the payroll: Randy Mims as its executive administrator of player programs and logistics; Brandon Weems as its director of scouting; Mike Mancias as its athletic trainer and athletic performance liaison. The team that accepts James' personal biochemist, Donnie Raimon, within its inner sanctuary.
Cleveland recognizes the importance of keeping James fresh from the basketball grind by planning an in-season excursion to Napa Valley, California, and giving its blessing for James to jet down to Miami to hang with former Heat teammates, as he did in between the second round and the conference finals these playoffs.
And, don't forget, it's the team that found itself in a one-possession game in the final minute of regulation in both Games 1 and 3 of this year's Finals against Golden State.
In the past week, two members of the 2017-18 Cavaliers -- a player and another staff member -- relayed to ESPN that they believe Cleveland has the best chance of any team to land LeBron.
A small sample size, sure, but also an indication of the belief that exists around the franchise despite a year full of unfavorable Vegas odds and #hegone tweets that fueled the public perception that James' departure was a foregone conclusion.
James told Cleveland.com in April that the two determining factors for his summer decision would be family and winning. He elaborated after Cleveland was eliminated from the Finals, mentioning his family -- particularly his two sons, LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus -- would factor into his decision as he considers their futures, but added, "It ultimately will come down to me."
James' oldest son is 13 and entering the eighth grade. James could opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cavs on Friday and sign with the Cavs on a one-plus-one deal -- the first year guaranteed with the second year being a player option -- and align his personal decision as to whether to leave Cleveland for good or not with the same time Bronny will be choosing which high school to enroll in.
Some might say that would mean the circus following James' decision for another 12 months, but when has James shied away from the spotlight? As former Cavs general manager David Griffin once put it, James "thrives on chaos."
Add in the fact that, as ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported, James won't be seeking elaborate free-agency pitch meetings this summer; there is a sense of James already knowing what he needs to know.
"There won't be a dog-and-pony show," one source familiar with James' thinking told ESPN.
If you strip down the speculation and the pomp and circumstance, what remains are the facts about his situation in Cleveland.
With 29 games remaining in the 2017-18 season, Cleveland completely revamped its roster, then withstood a slew of injuries and a medical leave of absence by its coach and still made the Finals.
Those midseason trades, which seemed dramatic at the time, have become something of an annual tradition for a Cleveland team trying to chase championships: the JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov deals in 2015; the Channing Frye trade in 2016; and the Kyle Korver acquisition in 2017.
And owner Dan Gilbert, no matter what the status of his relationship with James, has spent more than any other owner in the past four years: $450.9 million in salary alone, not counting luxury taxes, with the next-closest team being the LA Clippers at $406.1 million. Publicly, at least, Gilbert has come to fully understand James' value, saying on a recent Business Insider podcast appearance, "Legally, [James] may be working for our organization, but that's not really the case. He's more of your partner, really."
Then there are James' own words, more explicit than what was stitched onto his hat, when he has repeatedly mentioned finishing his career in Cleveland and also his desire to shape the reputation of the Cavs franchise so its looked at the same way he looked at the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees when he was a kid growing up.
"I've tried to put this franchise at a level that is always seen in a positive light," James told ESPN's Rachel Nichols on the eve of Game 1 of the Finals. "From a basketball standpoint, from a social standpoint, from a brand standpoint. I get a lot of the light and the headlines, but I'm one; as long as I'm here playing for this franchise, when you see the Cavaliers, I want you to think of prestige and a great organization."
It was a precursor to his comments later on in the series when he spoke about his desire to play alongside "a group of talent, but also a group of minds to be able to compete with Golden State."
A source close to James told ESPN that when he came back to Cleveland in 2014, he recognized he was joining an organization that needed leadership and guidance, and that he would have to set the tone.
Whatever blemishes the Cavs might still have four years later only make James' role that much more important. If he wants the organization to stand for exceptionalism, professionalism and basketball IQ, perhaps he will have to be the one to continue to be the example for others to follow.
And there was one more message, or rather lack thereof, from James that could have been a telling clue as to Cleveland's chances this summer.
When James walked off the court after Game 4 of the Finals as the first Cavs player to make his way to the locker room, he greeted his sons with handshakes. He hugged his mother, and then he kissed his wife as he journeyed down the tunnel, but he did not stop to acknowledge or wave to the crowd to say goodbye.
Maybe because there was no need for him to do so just yet.
His best bet to return is to stay here and with some slight retooling they've got to be odds on favorite again. He ain't getting there from the West...
Boston should be the favorite in the East in 2019, regardless if LBJ goes elsewhere.
I just don't see how Cleveland can improve THAT much
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Philly has young stars yes, but BBall wise its a horrid place for him to go. No one on that team creates their own shot, and Simmons plays like LeBron. He's not nearly as good, but same style. They will be standing around doing nothing all game. It would be a horrible team X and O wise. Lebron knows that.
That's all very true. However there's no great BBall fit for LeBron this offseason. All the teams have distinct negatives and positives. For Philly, LeBron would be able to play with a top stretch big in the game. Embiid would be a nightmare matchup against the GSW (You can't play Javelle against Embiid). Fultz is a tossup, but he does provide a primary ball handler, which LeBron needs. Ben Simmons is the toss up, you don't necessarily have to play him (or Fultz) with LeBron, either player would be great for a 2nd unit. With Simmons, you can give LeBron the strength and size on the wing that he hasn't had in his career.
Personally, I think LeBron wants to avoid playing the 4 in any situation. It takes too much out of his body and I think his one real goal in the NBA is to play on the same court as his son one day. That would make him 40 (41 if Silver has his way and expands the 1 and done rule). I don't think he can play till 40 if he has to live in the post. I also don't think LeBron signing with any of these teams guarantees that he will be with them long term. I think moving around in free agency has become almost completely destigmatized in sports narratives.
IMO there are three places for him to choose from right now:
1. Lakers ... makes sense career/legacy wise ... and for his son. BUT, a lot hinders on Kawhi/PG/CP3
2. Cavs ... sign one more year, try to salvage/improve however possible
3. Celtics ... far fetched, but a great franchise, coach, young talent, etc.
I don't see how LA enhances his career and legacy even if they go get one of those other guys.. they could still only ever be the 3rd or 4th best team in Lakers history behind the Magic/Kareem team, the Kobe/Shaq team, and the Wilt teams.. LeBron isn't going to have enough time left to string together 3 or 4 championships to replace any of them (considering that just making the finals is far from a given)...
If he was concerned about his legacy and chips.. he would have taken a lesser contract long ago and he would have committed to the Cavs longer term so they could use that as leverage to go get better players... In a lot of ways, the struggles Cleveland has had are on him.
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