LeBron James' Sneaky Math

So, LeBron James has reupped with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which means Cavs fans can rejoice while Bill Simmons can stew in it, right? Cavs forever!

Well, not quite. In a scoop from Stephen A. Smith, of all people, it appears LeBron's agents are better than you might have thought. According to Smith, LeBron is actually taking a deal that could allow him to bust out of Cleveland when/if the salary cap drops in 2011 — when he'll be 26, by the way — and still give him the chance to say he tried his best to make it work in Cleveland. Brian Windhorst at the Akron Beacon-Journal describes it thusly:

This was probably the plan all along. LeBron's wait was perhaps just a ploy to make the Cavs realize he's not hopping up and down eager to re-up it so they'll be even more willing to bend from the full max years. ... However, this deal does make LeBron look a bit greedy, thinking that $18 million in what would be the fifth year of a max extension isn't enough. But, hey, I guess you get what you can get.

By the way, how did Smith get the scoop? Why, he's "taking part in a seminar James' representatives are putting on today." That makes sense, because EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS IMPORTANT!

Not So Fast, Cavs Fans [True Hoop] LeBron's Ever-Changing Contract [Brian Windhorst's Blog]