The King and His Court Jesters

Team LeBron reaches for prominence
By Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo Sports

It’s clear why advisor William Wesley (pictured holding Artest back in Detroit) has been so relentless courting suitors with conditions and circumstances with which they can secure LeBron James: For basketball’s biggest dealmaker, there’s little personal benefit to James re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. To team executives in the chase and those familiar with the dynamics of James’ inner circle, World Wide Wes’ agenda is clear: Get LeBron out of Cleveland and push himself into a prominent place of power.

To be considered the architect of the sport’s grandest transaction, World Wide Wes needs James out of the clutches of the Cavaliers.

It’s clear why advisor William Wesley has been so relentless courting suitors with conditions and circumstances with which they can secure LeBron James(notes): For basketball’s biggest dealmaker, there’s little personal benefit to James re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. To team executives in the chase and those familiar with the dynamics of James’ inner circle, World Wide Wes’ agenda is clear: Get LeBron out of Cleveland and push himself into a prominent place of power.

To be considered the architect of the sport’s grandest transaction, World Wide Wes needs James out of the clutches of the Cavaliers.

“If LeBron leaves, Wes is going to get carte blanche wherever he signs,” one source told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s going to have the run of the place, and he doesn’t have that in Cleveland. He has access there, but Maverick Carter is the guy with the keys there. …[Carter’s] much more influential, and would always be in Cleveland.”

This is the push and pull on the inside of Team LeBron, sources say – agendas colliding in self-interest as the start of free agency creeps closer on Thursday. In the end, James is too strong to let someone else make a decision for him, but there remains strong influences deeply immersed in this process with him.

Beyond James’ own sentimentality and belief of staying the course with Cleveland, the best chance the Cavaliers have to re-sign James likely belongs to Carter, his business manager, and the high school buddies on the payroll. Should James leave for the bright lights and big cities, his childhood associates become less relevant, less impressive. “No one cares about those guys walking around in Chicago or Miami or New York,” one league executive said.

James’ friends have had the run of Cleveland for seven years, unchecked power within the corridors of the Cavaliers organization. Around Cleveland and nearby Akron, where they were brought up with James, they don’t need to have the two-time MVP surrounding them to be considered VIPs. Maybe that doesn’t end with James elsewhere, but it dramatically changes.

Carter (left) has counted upon James’ money to bankroll a fledgling marketing company, LRMR, and James’ staying with Cleveland would be worth $30 million more over the life of a six-year contract than if he signed with another team.

LRMR has little revenue coming in, and going out they have offices, staff, attorneys, five-star hotel bills and the use of private jets. For James’ associates, the cost of living promises to be far steeper beyond the life they’ve made for themselves in Northeast Ohio.

There isn’t strife within Team LeBron, but tension? Yes, there’s tension, sources say. After all, Carter has set himself up as the conduit to James, his marketing guru, the man all things must go through before they reach James’ ears. He controls his own people in the media, plants the stories he wants reported. Team LeBron had the grand idea for a city-to-city free-agent tour that had to be cancelled because of the backlash this frenzy had started to incur.

World Wide Wes doesn’t spend the time that Maverick does with James, but he has far greater influence with front offices and teams.

This is the kind of situation you find yourself in when you try to take your friends with you on the ride to the top. I can't argue with the job Maverick Carter and associates have done making Lebron James money. But every company in the world has wanted to do business with Bron Bron. Would any other agent have done a worse job than LRMR has done promoting Lebron? Doubtful. And in that case Lebron wouldn't have to worry about taking his company on the road. Although I hate to use 'Entourage' as an analogy it's honestly just like when Eric started his own management company with Vince as his only client. What does LRMR or Maverick Carter have besides Lebron? Good answer.

On the flip side I'd also be wary of World Wide Wes. Why is this guy so desperate to be associated with Lebron? I get that he's a cash cow but there are tons of other guys in the league making a lot of money. If I were Lebron I'd be hesitant to do business with someone that seems as desperate as Wes.