Report: LeBron will be asking for max contract

When free agency begins just after midnight Tuesday, LeBron James will be asking for a max contract, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst:

Teams who contact James will be informed that he wants no less than the maximum salary number for next season, sources said. The max number is projected to be $22.2 million.

There are seven teams in the NBA with enough cap space to offer James a max contract: the Heat, Lakers, Suns, Jazz, Mavericks, Magic and 76ers. The Heat have the most cap space of the bunch, with $55 million available to spend.

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Signing James to a max contract would leave the Heat with less money to spend on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who both opted out of their current contracts.

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Windhorst adds that because of LeBron's salary demands there is "growing pessimism among teams that James is seriously considering leaving the Heat."

— Dan Gartland

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