THE NBA HAS A PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS
When LeBron left Cleveland the first time for Miami it left the NBA fans in pure disgust. He was leaving to go chase a championship and not try to win the way other superstars of the past did it by staying loyal to their team and finally taking that team all the way. LeBron decided to do things differently and create a situation for himself where he could assure that he had the best chance to win.
Normally players left that part of things to the front office of their team but LeBron being who he is decided that he knew more about what he needed to win than any front office executive. Now in that context I understand exactly where LeBron's point of view is coming from. He was under immense pressure to live up to being the number one pick, to being the chosen one, and being next in line to try and dethrone Michael Jordan as the GOAT. With that pressure LeBron felt like until he won a championship he could never enter those discussions and despite any individual accomplishments it would never amount to what was expected of him. He could win 10 league MVP's but if he never won a championship he would be considered one the greatest greats to ever be not be great.
So understanding his mind set, ego and desire to have a legacy comparable to those before him LeBron took matters into his own hands and the NBA has felt the ripple effect from it since. Since the Miami decision LeBron has been hand picking his teammates, demanding owners like Dan Gilbert pay luxury tax penalties to keep teammates and players LeBron wanted, and using his leverage of signing only 1+1 to do so. To be honest from his personal business standpoint it has been genius. However, everywhere that LeBron goes he leaves the organization crippled in salary and leaving them ill-equipped to be competitive. Which then builds nothing but animosity and resentment towards him, leaving organizations in the NBA to have it out for him.
Enter into now, LeBron has finally been hit back. Now that LeBron is on one of the biggest stages in his career as far as just the team he is on, the same strings he was able to play in Cleveland and Miami no longer carries the same tune. It is clear as day, that LeBron wanted Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. He and his friend/agent Rich Paul played their hand exactly like they were suppose too when it came to trying to steal Davis away from New Orleans. And believe it would have worked, if only small market teams in the NBA did not have it out for LeBron.
Anthony Davis tried the same formula as Kawhi and Paul George in regards to demanding a trade from their team and offering their preferred destinations. Now both Paul George and Kawhi landed in respectable organizations, neither went to where they wanted but nevertheless they were traded. New Orleans is prepared to play the long game with Anthony Davis. He isn't a free agent until 2020, so they have an entire year to find out where and who has the best assets for them. Along with that they have the ability to make Anthony Davis the first 300 million dollar player in NBA history, if Davis decides to stick around. This also gives New Orleans another year to add potential players to their roster that bolsters their chance to win, leaving a better impression on Davis.
What all of this culminates to is LeBron getting the shaft!
Not only will he have to wait for this free agency to see if any player would want to come and play with him, (when the Lakers missed out on Paul George in free agency and Kawhi in trade), but if LeBron wants Anthony Davis it will not come until he is 35 or at worst 36. Which will only limit his window of opportunity to win again, being the leading star on the team. LeBron has to win and he has to be the best player on the team, in order to bolster his argument against Michael. Not only that but as being a Laker he has to win just to be considered one of the greatest Lakers of all time.
The small market teams are at war with big name superstars. The Anthony Davis non-trade was a stamp of approval amongst all other small market teams in that they will no longer tolerate being bullied by players they have under contract. Along with that, they will not become development camps for big market teams to come and just take their players. Lastly, LeBron will not just be able to come talk to a small market superstar and coax him into leaving that team to join him just to help his own agenda, which is what LeBron has become accustomed too since he left Cleveland the first time.
LeBron's biggest contribution to the NBA is that he showed players how to use their free agency and star power to bend the wills of these teams to do what they want. However, what he left out was that you have to be LeBron James or comparable to him to do so. You can't just be the superstar on your team and think you can have this much power, you have to be one of the best in the world, undisputed. So Anthony Davis is the test run now for small market teams and how to deal with their disgruntled superstar(s) who want to leave prior to their free agency for bigger markets. If New Orleans plays it long enough, who knows Anthony might just end up staying in New Orleans, if not they get what they want and the "superstar" is left to their will, scrambling to find out their next move.
Ultimately, the NBA has to find a way to ensure their small market organizations will have a fair chance to compete and keep people in their arenas just as much as LA, New York, Miami, Boston, Philly, Golden State, Detroit and Chicago. If not then the NBA might as well have an eight team league and see what big market team can attract the best players to win every year. Things will start to look like the pre-modern NBA years where the Celtics and Lakers clearly had the best players on their respected rosters above everyone else. Which will create a hardened rivalry, but not expand the greatness of the league in totality.
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