Carmelo Anthony enjoyed the privilege of being the N.B.A.’s most coveted free agent for a little more than 36 hours. That ended Tuesday morning when it was revealed that LeBron James had informed the Miami Heat through his agent, Rich Paul, that he intends to exercise the early-termination option on his contract and become a free agent on July 1.
The news was not surprising — by opting out, James can explore other opportunities while putting leverage on the Heat to improve their roster — but it sent seismic tremors across the league, nonetheless. James, who has won two N.B.A. championships with the Heat, is widely regarded as the planet’s best player, and any team would love to have him.
The Heat, though, remain the favorite to retain his services. James, 29, has made four trips to the N.B.A. finals in four seasons in Miami, and he seems to enjoy playing there.
The Heat’s most recent trip to the finals, however, was a bit of a disaster, as the San Antonio Spurs — executing their smart and savvy style of basketball — steamrollered to the title in five games. The series exposed some of the Heat’s flaws, including their lack of depth, and guard Dwyane Wade’s physical limitations.
By opting out, James can restructure his deal with the Heat to help accommodate more players. But much of that could also hinge on what Wade and, to a lesser extent, Chris Bosh decide to do. Like James, Wade and Bosh have opt-out clauses in their contracts. But unlike James, they have yet to inform the Heat of their plans.
James was due to earn $20.6 million from the Heat next season.
