Despite the fact that NBA free agency doesn’t begin until July 1, LeBron James already has a contract offer on the table.
The thing is, that contract is to play baseball, not basketball.
The Lake Erie Crushers, an independent team in the Frontier League, announced that they have offered LeBron James a max contract to join their team, ESPN.com reports.
James is expected to be offered a max contract from his current team, the Cavaliers to play basketball, and it is expected to pay him more than the Crushers will – a lot more.
A press release on the team’s website said the max contract would be consistent with Frontier League rules, meaning James would be able to make $1,600 for the month. But that’s not all. In addition, the Crushers are offering James with a host family “to eliminate the stress of a potential commute from the Akron area to Avon.”
The gimmick is all part of the Crushers’ “Keep LBJ in the C-L-E” night. The contract offer isn’t the only thing the Crushers are dangling in front of James. They’re also offering him use of a luxury suite to hold a free agent convention.
LeBron of course stirred up controversy when he went on Larry King Live and spoke of a potential “committee” meeting between him and the rest of this summer’s highly-sought after NBA free agent class.
The Crushers will also sport Cavalier-themed jerseys, all with the number “6” on them; the number LeBron has said he will wear next year regardless of where he ends up.
While it’s obviously unlikely James will be making any appearances in Avon in the near future, if he were to take them up on it, it couldn’t go much worse than Michael Jordan’s short-lived baseball career.
