NBA free agency starts Thursday. Not sure if you guys had heard about it.
The way this off-season is looking like it will play out, it seems like the NBA might as well just re-draft the entire league and give the teams with the most cap room the first picks.
Right now, all sorts of reports of floating around. LeBron and Bosh to the Bulls. LeBron/Wade/Bosh to the Heat. Joe Johnson/Amare to the Knicks. The Mavs want a shot at LeBron. The Nets want to make a huge splash. The Wolves want Rudy Gay (seriously David Kahn? You just acquired 4 small forwards you freak). The Clippers want to get in the mix.
It’s going to be ridiculous and I’m sure we will talk a lot about it here, even though the Sixers won’t likely be a part of it (though a team that totally strikes out might look to trade for someone like Iggy).
So this post is going to be a place where everyone can guess what’s going to happen before the big day on Thursday.
Who Has Cap Space?
*projections assume a $56 million cap, and assume this site is correct
- Heat ($47.4 million)
- Knicks ($38.2)
- Bulls ($30.2)
- Nets ($28.9)
- Wizards ($21.5)
- Clippers ($18.6)
- Kings ($17.6)
- T-Wolves ($13.5)
- Thunder ($11.9)
- Memphis ($11.0)
- Suns ($10.9)
- Cavs ($10.0)
- Raptors ($7.7)
- Hawks ($7.6)
- Bucks ($2.4)
Who Are The Players?
Here are the big players that we want everyone to take a guess at…
- LeBron James
- Dwyane Wade
- Chris Bosh
- Amar’e Stoudemire
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Joe Johnson
- Carlos Boozer
- Rudy Gay
- Paul Pierce
- Ray Allen
- David Lee
In addition feel free to guess where other chips may fall. Here is a list of CNNSI’s top 40 FA for this off-season (I assumed Yao would not opt-0ut and join the fray).
Pete’s Best Guess
I have no more info than you guys, so don’t think this has any weight. But here is my best guess as to how it will play out (some of this is wishful thinking and going with the idea that I don’t think this will play out at all how people think). Also if you just copy and paste this in the comments and change the teams to what you think will happen, that would work well.
James – Cavs (I still think his heart wins out, Joe Mauer-style)
Wade – Heat
Bosh – Nets (the surprise. He gets to be “the man” while being surrounded by a very good supporting cast. They then trade Favors.)
Stoudemire – Heat
Nowitzki – Mavs
Johnson – Knicks
Boozer – Knicks
Gay – Bulls
Pierce – Celtics
Allen – Bulls
Lee – Suns
Left twiddling their thumbs: Clippers, Bulls to an extent
Dannie’s Best Guess
James – Heat
I don’t think he can risk his legacy on the sentimental value of staying in Cleveland in hopes they built the right team around him. His time is now and there are much better options out there for him in Miami and Chicago.
Wade – Heat
I don’t see anyway he leaves Miami.
Bosh – Heat
Bosh is probably 80% going wherever James goes. I have LeBron in Miami and that means Bosh is there too.
Stoudemire – Knicks
Reunite with D’Antoni in the city of bright lights. Seems like it would appeal to Stoudemire. And I find it hard to believe Phoenix would give him the money he wants (and they probably shouldn’t).
Nowitzki – Mavs
Johnson – Chi
Good fit here. Chi needs a shooting guard next to Rose who can knock down shots and be a playmaker when he needs a break.
Boozer – Utah
I feel like he stays in Utah, but he fooled Cleveland before.
Gay – Knicks
Perfect fit in D’Antoni’s system. He could put up ridiculous numbers there. I think Memphis took Henry in preperation for getting blown out of the water by another team with cap space that misses out of James/Wade/Bosh. The Knicks are a good candidate.
Pierce – Celtics
No way he leaves and I wouldn’t be surprised if he opts out to structure his deal so they can resign Allen.
Allen – Celtics
They find a way to keep him and that team in tact for another year. The caveat is, if Doc leaves that is in serious doubt.
Lee – Wash
You have two ball dominating guards there, Lee isn’t a big personality and can get points on the glass, seems like a fit.
In the end I think Miami offers the strongest pitch to Bosh and LeBron.
From a winning championships perspective no team can provide better. From a financial standpoint, Miami is in position to offer each player a starting salary of roughly $15M with normal yearly increases. BUT, you also have to account for the fact that their are no personal income taxes in Miami, meaning the players get to keep significantly more of their money, which would cover for any pay reduction they take to play together.
Miami’s owner is Mickey Arison one of the 50 richest people in the U.S. so the luxury tax isn’t going to ever be an issue with this team. Maybe they can’t get the top role players for 2011, but they can every year thereafter with the exceptions they’ll have. Also, he has built a culture with the Heat that does things like this for it’s players.
Oh and IT’S MIAMI!
I kind of wonder if LeBron can handle playing in Chicago, with Jordan’s statue out front of the arena and those 6 championships (two back to back) hovering above every day. If he doesn’t have similar success with a team clearly capable I think he personally would be devastated and his legacy would take a major hit as well. I just think, that actually does cross his mind.
The only reason this doesn’t happen is ego and I know there is a lot of it. Financially it makes sense, winning-wise is makes too much sense and the city is certainly acceptable. If it doesn’t happen it’s because James couldn’t stand being on a team with Wade where he has to share the lime light (Bosh is really an after fact in all this).
I tried (and failed I’m sure) to make sense of this but it’s impossible and in now way will anyone be able to predict what happens.
I think a lot of teams who need wing players could either lose out on everyone because the top wings go elsewhere OR they could just pick the next available best player regardless if it’s a position of need (think Boozer/Stoudemire/Lee to the Nets or Clippers).
James – Cavs
Wade – Heat
Bosh – Heat
Stoudemire – Suns
Nowitzki – Mavs
Johnson – Nets
Boozer – Bulls
Gay – Knicks
Pierce – Celtics
Allen – Clippers ( They always pay for over the top stars)
Lee – Knicks
Left twiddling their thumbs: Knicks
I know I have them signing Gay, but anything short of LBJ and the city will go nuts. Its unreasonable, but its what the New Yorkers are expecting.
James- Cavs
Wade- Heat
Bosh- Heat
Stoudemire- Suns
Nowitzki- Mavs
Johnson- Knicks
Boozer-Bulls
Gay- Wolves (I think Kahn might be dumb enough to do it)
Pierce- Celtics
Allen- Nets
Lee- Knicks
It seems like all of the talk of Lebron and Bosh to the Miami is heating up…as cool as I think it would be to see three superstars put their egos aside to win it all, I think Lebron would be a better fit in Chicago with Bosh. I just don’t know if you can two stars (Wade and Lebron) that big without one being a center on one team and have it work. In Chicago, he would be the indisputable go-to guy, with a strong 2 in Bosh. He would have a true point guard in Rose and they would have a great defensive big man in Noah to go in the front court with Bosh. If they can just find a guy who can knock down a 3 that team would be 5 deep. Bosh, Wade, and Lebron in Miami would be just the three of them and 7 minimum guys. I think the Chicago scenario is the better team. Ultimately though my gut tells me Lebron stays put although I’d like to see him go somewhere wherer can will have teammates who are worth a crap…..
Lebron: Sixers
Sign and trade for Iggy and Kapono
Bosh: Sixers
Sign and trade for Brand and Williams
I can dream, aye?
James – Bulls
Wade – Heat
Bosh – Bulls
Stoudemire – Knicks
Nowitzki – Mavs
Johnson – Knicks
Boozer – Heat
Gay – Grizzlies
Pierce – Celtics
Allen – Nets
Lee – Nets
While I agree with the ego problem with LeBron going to Miami, I see it being a problem for a different. Rather than not being able to share the spotlight, I think if LeBron plays with Wade and Bosh, his career is seen as a failure. yes, he may win tons of championships, but he had to go to Miami and join two other superstars to do it. Jordan never needed that. Kobe proved he could without Shaq (though Gasol is pretty good in his own right). That is my sticking point with LeBron going to Miami. I see him in NY or Chicago (Rose and Noah are perfect for him and not quite up there with Wade/Bosh; more like Pippen and Rodman). But I do also have issues with the MJ thing. I just hope LeBron comes to NY for selfish reasons so I can watch him play all the time (even though I will hate seeing the Knicks have any success).
I agree with you 100% Adam. If he wants to be remembered as “the greatest player ever” – going to Miami might not be the best place to do it.
I dont think that him teaming with Wade is a good idea from his perspective. What if Wade emerges as the team leader? What if Wade outplays him? What if Wade “hogs” the ball? What is Wade takes and makes all the last second shots? Does LeBron want to risk becoming Scottie Pippen? Does Wade?
Another thing that Dannie pointed out to me is that if he teams with Wade, he will always have less championships that him since Wade already has one.
I just don’t see those two together.
Whatever happens, I hope it does quickly. I’ve already have had my full share of the Farve like ESPN overkill.
After the chips fall this will be the best chance for the Sixers to move Iguodala for value to a team who comes up short (Clippers?)- but I don’t think they want to.
Its not going to happen… but Lebron should join Bosh on the soon top be Brooklyn Nets (I’d change the name to the Brooklyn “laFamilia” to better embrace the local culture and the owner.)
They would have:
Harris/Lee/Lebron/Bosh/Lopez
bench: Favors, Yi, T. Williams
They could dump Yi for cap space, or keep him, so that they have the China, NY and Russian markets covered to maximize revenue.
I would keep Favors, because the entire roster is <25, so they will still be winning titles when he develops in 2-3 years. And there is no question the owner will go over the cap, or use “whatever means necessary” to win.
as much as I want Iguodala to stay; I’d say this is prime season for him to be traded. you could get top value in all the craziness that could ensue. who knows how it could play out but IF and once Lebron signs or agrees with any other team than the Cavs; then the madness will begin. Teams will instantly begin to judge the strength on Lebron’s new team and start scrambling for players to match that. It’ll be beyond funny and ridiculous the kind of stuff that will happen if he does not re-sign with Cleveland. I am waiting for that. It’ll be like the stock exchange.
I doubt he goes to Miami. Wade and James are two very dominant (ball dominant and personality wise) players. In the end there can be only ONE. someone or both would need to OD on humility for that to work.
So do you think there will be even more polarization between the good and bad teams after FA is done? Or was it at its worst this year with so many teams tanking for cap space?
tk76-
I’m surprised that the Nets aren’t getting more attention from the big names. They have a great Center who doesn’t need the ball the dominate. They have an above average PG who can shoot. They have Favors (who knows what that means). They are moving to Brooklyn. They have a crazy/Mark Cuban like owner who appears to want to do whatever it takes to win.
NJ just moved Yi to clear more cap space.
tk76: re: post #8 – that team would have the biggest front court ever
James 6’8 250lbs
Lopez: 7’0 265lbs
Favors: 6’10 246lbs
Williams: 6’6 220lbs
Bosh: 6’10 210lbs
I just changed my David Lee prediction. I forgot that the Suns will have room if they don’t re-sign Amar’e.
There is Something that I find very interesting that no one seems to be talking about is, what if Wade and Bosh go to Chicago? why not? I mean you would have Rose, Wade,____,Bosh,Noah. you could put me at the 3 on that team and we would still win 50 games. I think that is a very real possibility is LBJ decides to stay in Cleveland. It would take a lot of trust on Bosh’s part, but hey if Lebron stays, If you were Bosh and Wade, why wouldnt you want to go to Chi-town.
jkay,
LA:
Odom 6’10 230
Gasol 6’7 250
Bynum 7’0 285
Artest 6’7 260
(Mbenga 7’0 255)
——–
Portland:
Oden, Camby, Aldridge, Pryzbilla (if they were healthy)
Angelo, any combo including Bosh will make Chicago dangerous.
Less talent but the best fit would be:
Rose/JJ/Deng/Bosh/Noah
That is a very well rounded team.
obvious typo regarding Gasol…
it will be a shocker if Wade leaves Miami
Most under-talked-about free agent of the summer
= Louis Scola. Definition of the “borderline all star” player…but I just love the dude’s toughness, rebounding, and selfless play. I’m very curious if the Rockets try to workout a sign-trade with Bosh (allowing Bosh to get that 6th year at max dollar, and allowing the Raptors to get some talent in return).
Bosh is from Houston, and a return to Texas has to be somewhat appealing for the guy. Plus, Houston already has a legit shooting guard in place (Kevin Martin), nice defensive SF’s (Battier/Ariza), Yao at C, and nice backup F/C’s in Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson. I could see Houston giving up a Scola, Ariza, and Kyle Lowry combo for Bosh, maybe with Jordan Hill or Patterson added in. Would give the Rockets a very interesting lineup of:
PG – A. Brooks
SG – K. Martin
SF – S. Battier
PF – C. Bosh
C – Yao
…not saying this is likely, but just throwing this out there.
Tk 76 – I think your Rose/JJ/Deng/Bosh/Noah scenario is a huge possibility to happen, and I think of all the non-LeBron scenarios, those pieces all fit together the best on paper, if you look at what each newcomer brings to the table along with the pieces the Bulls already have. Chicago would be thrilled to add two top caliber, legit championship caliber 2nd banana type players in JJ And Bosh that are both usually considered in the NBA’s top 10-13 guys. Deng being a borderline all-star sometimes himself…and Rose an eventual top 5 PG, Noah the definition of the perfect bucket and pale, selfless center…
…would be a scary team.
Dirk opted out of his contract today passing up $21 million next season and 4 year $96 million extension. I’m guessing he wants Cuban to add some big name free agent so they can compete against the Lakers and whatever monster team is constructed during this free agent period.
Lebron would be better suited playing with a guy like J Johnson than the other major star players. He needs a player who can hit the jumper on a regular basis off the wing. Cavs don’t have that. Lebron should take less money and find a way to get JJ on his team with the cavs. LBJ, JJ and Jamison is a nice fit.
I am curious if Dirk is quietly thinking about bolting Dallas. I could actually see him fitting nicely next to Wade or LeBron.
Also, Knicks looking hard at Joe Johnson as a back-up plan.
This summer will be good and bad for the Sixers.
Good, because guys that shouldn’t get max or near max contracts will and those teams will be hamstrung for quite a while and probably bad at the end of those deals.
Bad, because there is going to be one super team or near super team created in the East.
Also, Speights, Meeks, Turner and Jrue are leading the way on the summer league team. Here is the roster. I am somewhat intrigued by Devon Hardin from Cal.
Dannie knows I love me some Dirk.
Would love to see him team up with LeBron or Wade somewhere. Agree that he would be a great compliment.
It’s too bad the Suns ownership sucks, wouldn’t you love to see Nash and LeBron together for a couple seasons?
Excuse me, but when did Bosh become this must have superstar??? Playing in Toronto, with who? I see Elton Brand written all over this guy (with or without the new injury per season). If I was LeBiggest mofo on the court. I would want Dirk as FA partner.
One thing that might help the Sixers though, If a “super-team” is created we might leapfrog a couple squads and really opens up the rest of the East for the next couple years. Say that all 3 go to the Heat…
How sad has the NBA gotten? Pete, that list made me cry.
how about James Jones (just released by Miami) as a cheap pick-up as a shooter?
dre: speak for yourself. thats just the Eastern Conference. WC is still doing okay.
we are not even good now so the shift in power doesnt affect us yet. 3yrs down the road, if we’re something then we can have the liberty to complain.
I think Lebron, R.Allen and M.Miller end up in Chicago.
Amare and J.Johnson in New York.
D.Lee ends up in Pheonix.
Boozer and Gay to the Nets.
Bosh and Wade and J.Oneal to Heat.
Shaq and Dirk to Dallas.
Scola and Iggy [trade for Aminu, D.Jordan and fut. prot. #1] to Clippers.
Pierce and Salmons to Celts.
Dannie, I believe Okl. City owns Hardin!s rights but, yea, I like him too.
P.S.- I think A.Jefferson goes to Detroit for Prince .
I actually like the Love kid from Xavier, a school with a good history of p.f.!s. He can!t jump over a phone book but could provide some toughness and push our young bigs in practice. He could be Collin!s new D.Reid from this summer league team.
God, I really love the NBA, but excuse me for saying, IMO it has become the 4th if not the 5th league in America.
1. NFL
2. College Football
3.MLB
4. College Basketball / NBA
5. NBA / NHL
and then golf and Nascar are thrown in there somewhere.
I mean the NBA has been putrid, especially since the sixers have been bad. I could barely even watch the NBA finals, i had to bet the games to even be motivated to watch ( i had the celtics 7+ in game 7 btw). The NBA has gotten to be all about 3′s, dunks, motion offense, and point guards. If the NBA ever decided to say “if you go to college, you have to stay for at least 3 years.” then Basketball in general would be better. basketball was my favorite game growing up, now I can barely watch it. I know this is off topic, but all this FA bullsh*t is just a little too much. I just want the sixers to be relevant again and ill be happy. Evan Turner you better not let us down. I now yield to the floor.
Rid us of iggy for D. Jordan. Wow. Sixers should have tried to sign and trade for amare and dragic. Could have gone into the draft looking to move down and grab cousins. Front court of Cousins, Amare, Thad. I really don’t think ES is good or capable of moving parts around to better his team. Or he’s married to certain players because his job depended on it such as the Brand signing. I’m rooting for this team to win but something tells me more could have been done and wasn’t.
This is Lebron’s best shot to choose his teammate to make a long title run.
Lebron is 25. I expect he wants to be matched wuith another young top player. Entering next year:
.
Dirk is 32
JJ is 29
Ray Allen is 36
Wade is 28
Bosh is 26
Rose is 22
TK, With T.Gibson at p.f. wouldn!t Allen and Miller help as much as Bosh? Will Chicago pay the luxury tax in years to come?
R.Rose, Iggy for 3 young assets AND cap room is the only way he gets moved, in my opinion. Aminu, Jordan and a #1 would be enticing and Thad would get his chance.
I can see a Lebron team adding a guy like Miller or Allen using the MLE in a year or two. But I don’t think he’sd want to join a team that is committing years and big dollars to an older player.
If Chicago pulls the rumored Deng for Gortat and Pietrus deal it allows a 3 man rotation of Gibson, Noa and Gortat at the 4/5. As far as joining a young star I believe Rose would be such player in Lebron!s eyes.
I agree, Rose is the big draw. But if he could, why not Lebron/Rose/Bosh/Noah. They are all 21-25 which means a chance at breaking MJ’s 6 titles (at least in Lebron’s eyes.) And if you go to Chicago you would always be measured against MJ’s success.
If MJ won his first of 6 titles at age 29, I’d say that roster has a shot at catching him over the next 12 years. the only thing holding them back would be Reinsdorf’s checkbook and unwillingness to go over the tax… which is why he should go the NJ.
I think Dirk may be THE wild card, he is the stretch the floor and open the lane big Lebron needs; if Lebron could choose between Dirk or Bosh, who is he taking?
I wonder if Dirk could be talked into being the face of the Brooklyn Nets?
Anyone else think that the entire Sixers roster, except for maybe Brand, should be playing in the summer league? God knows the team could use the extra practice!
Crooked Man: +1
crooked man I agree. Its basketball why not be there playing and improving. God knows iggy needs more shots at the 3 pt line
From CNNSI’s team needs article:
“New coachDoug Collins has plenty of problem areas to consider, including defense, rebounding, low-post scoring (Elton Brand doesn’t do much of it anymore) and three-point shooting.”
Other than that, we’re fine.
Miami and Chicago are the frontrunners in my opinion for Lebron, but both teams have something that is keeping me from saying they are the outright favorite.
No matter how many rings Lebron wins in Miami, people will always talk about how much help he had with Wade/Bosh.
No matter how many rings Lebron wins in Chicago, he will never surpass MJ as the greatest player in franchise history.
Does Lebron care about either of those two factors? We’ll find out when he signs, but it’s pretty crazy how much the NBA landscape could change with his decision.
If LeBron leaves Cleveland for this trio in Miami, I will absolutely root for him to fail or be overshadowed by Wade.
The only way I can see myself liking LeBron after all this is if he stays in Cleveland or teams with Dirk somewhere. Or if he went to the Clips, which isn’t happening.
“No matter how many rings Lebron wins in Chicago, he will never surpass MJ as the greatest player in franchise history.”
What if he wins 9?
With either the NJ or Chicago roster I think he has a legit shot at catching MJ. You are talking 3-4 elite players all 25 and under. That is a 10 year window.
“catching” MJ won’t be enough…. MJ lovers will say you should give him the titles he would have won when he decided to play baseball. So that’s 8 for MJ. LeBron needs 9 for there to be no argument.
Now if he goes to Miami and Wade turns out to be the better player (more possible than people might think) – that changes everything. And would actually give Wade more titles.
Dannie – Thanks for the link to their summer league roster. I agree with you, Devon Hardin is a great player for us to pick up. California would have had one of the top frontcourts in the country a few years back if Leon Powe had stayed another year as PF, with Hardin at C. People (myself included) kept waiting for Hardin to break out and have a monster year, but even though he had all the tools, he never quite put it together.
He really turned out to be a steady and consistent defensive center in college though, and it surprised me that he didn’t make the cut as a 2nd rounder when Seattle drafted him. I’d love for him to have a nice summer league and be our 13th guy, and I’m sure his time in Europe has only improved his game. 6’11, athletic, defensive bigs don’t grow on trees.
I guess he would have a very, very, very small shot at surpassing MJ. But not only would he have to win an amazing amount of rings… he would also have to do it while being compared to MJ every single day. If he doesn’t mind that, then I guess that’s fine… but I wouldn’t want to put that stress on myself.
Either way, I think Jordan being a former “Bull” dampens their shot at getting Lebron. They have tons of other pieces that make them attractive though (including the coach I wanted the Sixers to hire, who also shut Lebron down in the playoffs a month or two ago).
“And would actually give Wade more titles.”
Hah, did not think about that angle. And I agree that Wade would draw a lot of attention- since he is a better natural scorer than Lebron. Lebron is the far better all-around player, but we all know the media loses sight of the non-scoring part of the equation. I also just think Lebron and Wade would have more chemistry issues- but they would win anyways.
I think Lebron is better, but not at all “far better” than Wade. Wade scores very efficiency for a wing player and the volume of shots he puts up, he is highly productive passing the ball, he defends well on and off the ball and he rebounds well for his position.
I am really, really big on not just looking and talking about talent and skill we see with our own eyes but also focusing on how that talent and skill translates into tangible production. Both players in the league for 7 seasons its much closer than people think.
Wade won the title in 2006 with a far worse supporting cast than LeBron had this year.
to put things in perspective; Lebron has not won a ring. any! none! extrapolating how many he is going to win and how meaningful they will be with respect to his location is kinda pushing it. right?
if he thinks that way, i feel sorry for him.
right now I think he just wants to win.
no one will get to MJs level.at least not anyone i see now. Kobe talk is fueled by easily excited commentators and writers. having the best offensive big man in the game (by far too) helps. but regardless, the manner in which Jordan did it, and the level of competition then speaks for itself.
the game is being overhyped these days. Celts-Lakers finals was good but that game 7 was some of the ugliest basketball I have seen in my life. forget competitiveness, it resembled a kids party’s reaction to a broken piniata.
“Wade won the title in 2006 with a far worse supporting cast than LeBron had this year.”
You are right in that Lebron and Wade are not as far apart as I implied… But that Heat team was 2 superstars and garbage- which sometimes is enough to get you a title (the Kobe/Shaq teams did not have great supporting casts, but were better than the Heat.) Shaq at 33 was still a game changing force.
Also, Wade without Shaq has struggled to make the playoffs and has been in the lottery a bunch more than Lebron. While Lebron carried a weak supporting cast without any legit 2nd star to the finals http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2007.html
JKay – Game 7 of the finals was ugly offensively, but that’s because the defense on both ends of the floor was excellent. It was an old school, physical, late 80′s/early 90′s type of brawl game. I miss that…I LOVE that kind of physical basketball, and wish the refs would let them play more these days. I freaking hate the ticky tac pansi fouls that are called since the new rules were put in place that said guards can’t touch anybody.
Is it more fun to watch a 140-137 Suns vs. Warriors game? Sure. But I certainly wouldn’t call Game 7 boring, it was a great, physical, defensive battle between two closely matched teams.
Miami in ’06 – That team is THE BIGGEST fraud of a team this past decade has seen. Let’s not forget that they sucked for the entire first third of the regular season, slouched their way through the second 3rd to mediocrity, and rode a nice winning wave through the playoffs where things started clicking and they got hot at the right team (similar to Boston and Phoenix this year). I freaking detest that that team won the championship that year…
…along with the fact that the 2nd round matchup in the West (Spurs vs. Mavs), where the Mavs finally got the monkey off their back and beat the Spurs…should have been the conference championship because they had the best two records…and the ridiculous fouls called in the finals. Blegh.
Im not making the above post to anything against Wade, he was phenominal, and Shaq had a great year…I just hated that freaking team. I can’t stand when teams show a true crap effort during a large part of the regular season and then turn it on and go on a run. Granted, I was hardcore rooting for the Celtics this year too though, so I’m a hypocritical bastard.
I think Lebron tells Wade thanks but no thanks; he seems to thrive on being batman and not Robin. If Reinsdorf tells him he will pay the tax than I still say Chicago. What about the Bosh to the Lakers scenerio ? I guess Bosh is realizing finally that to win a title he can!t be the top dog.
Here is my conspiracy theory of the day…
Lebron, Wade, Bosh and JJ, Boozer and Amare are all Nike (Wade recently switched from converse)
But Rose and Harris are Addidas. And I have a hunch that any deal where the FA takes less to make a super-team will involve a Nile kickback.
So how does this influence the Buills and Nets chances- if at all? We talk about agents and owners as financial factors… but what about the biggest endorser?
Dave T – What the hell are you talking about? That Heat team started slow out the gate with a 11-10 record for a very distinct reasons Shaq didn’t play. That’s when Pat Riley stepped in to coach the team. They went 41-20 the rest of the season and finished with 52 wins?
In those first 21 games, Shaq played a total of 2 games, the first two. They ran out a starting line-up combination of Wade, Haslem, Zo, Walker, Williams, Posey and Payton depending on the game.
In the playoffs they never faced a game 7 in any series.
man-o-man do I hate Antoine Walker
tk76 - That’s true, but why than has LeBron not gone further as the talent around him improved?
End of the day dude has question marks and a big ass gorilla on his back until he wins a ring, similar to the one Kobe had on his when Shaq left.
Don’t care much where any of the listed “entrepreneurs” land. The Lebron Doesn’t Fit Into Cleveland Show and its spinoffs turn my stomach. The NBA is screwed up. It’s a ridiculous case of tail wagging dog. The inherent business risks and outcomes of ventures/lavish free agent contracts are shouldered by fans (those that remain), not by the celebrated ball-bouncing principals who could live nicely off their
subsidiary consumer product contracts with a dash of reason added to lifestyles. The playoffs are an inferior overproduced TV show. Chuck Taylor goes Chuck Barris. NBA: Not Basketball Anymore. When comedian Charles Barkley is the league’s oracle and Mark Jackson is a regular enunciating annunciator of games, something is seriously out of whack. When talk of a second-rate basketball player like Andre Iguodala reaches high mass in a basketball hotbed like Philadelphia, what you’re witnessing is a fall, or at least, a sad bastardization of a professional sport. Where have you gone, Hal Greer?
Dannie, Lebron is 25. I don’t think the gorilla is on his back…. yet. But the clock is counting.
MJ turned 29 with no rings.
tk76 - Age doesn’t matter at all in the LeBron/MJ comparison, number of years in the league is the only metric you can use to make it apples-to-apples.
Besides that age doesn’t matter as much as perception and context. Yes, in years he has plenty of time I am not saying he doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t feeling the heat to win the big one right now based on the context of his situation the past few years.
As much as I know, he knows and everyone knows he is still just 25, that’s the luxury his talent at a young age affords him. I still find it hard to believe this this doesn’t weigh on him. And honestly, it should! It would infuriate Jordan, Magic, Kobe.
Having the gorilla on your back is only a bad thing if you let it be, if you can’t handle it. Those guys use it to drive them, I expect LeBron to do the same thing. But it’s there.
“MJ turned 29 with no rings.”
This is wrong. MJ won his first title at 28.
Question for the group:
Rudy Gay or Joe Johnson if the contracts are close (and even if they aren’t – JJ will command and is eligible for more)?
I know Gay is restricted, but he’s a RFA at Memphis so that’s really not all that restricted if you know what I mean. But I feel like Joe Johnson is getting a lot more pub than Gay as being the next best available wing after LeBron and Wade.
Thoughts?
Media creation that ”King James” is, the gorilla is the hype. If he could drop the persona and focus on just playing, maybe he and his team could accomplish a championship season. But since that genie’s out of the bottle (and many capitalize), his dreams of ultimate glory
may always go up in an 8 ft. cloud of talcum powder. The price of rampant fame and commercial success?
Lebron, take a deep breath; there are 4 others, along with a bench of reinforcements and a coaching staff. Play the game, not The Game. Composure and perspective are important components of excellence.
I may be asking a very very dumb question because the NBA salary cap has always baffled me… but why can’t a scenario arise where one of these teams who may be on the verge of loosing their superstar.. or star (amare) feel as if the best thing they can do is take part in a sign and trade where they at least get some pieces in return? The reason I ask is because lets say the suns front office knows they cant resign Amare b/c he has no desire to stay there. Wouldn’t it make more sense for both the Suns and Amare to sign Amare b/c he could get the most money from the suns then ship him to say the Sixers for Igudola. That way Amare gets more money and the Suns get a player they have coveted. This is just an example.. nothing more… this could also make 0 sense since I don’t understand the NBA cap system.
Dannie,
I immediately thought Joe Johnson because I had it in my mind he was the better player, but the numbers are surprisingly (to me) very close. I did not expect Rudy Gay to have a higher shooting percentage. I remember reading an article by Bill Simmons ranking players and how he would pay them. He had Rudy Gay and Iguodala in the same category because both would get a big deal, but both aren’t really max players (If I’m remembering correctly he also made the point they both weren’t great shooters, but I could be wrong).
Actually, just found the article. Here’s what he said about Rudy Gay:
“If you’re my best perimeter guy and can’t make 3s, then you better be dropping 24-26 a night easy, and he can’t do it. He’s headed for Iguodala/Deng/Granger territory — someone who gets paid like a franchise player but isn’t one (a recipe for NBA disaster). If I’m a Knicks fan, my Summer of 2010 Worst-Case Scenario is Amar’e and Rudy. That’s taking me to a 6-seed every spring.”
(He said Gay wasn’t a good 3pt shooter, not necessarily a jump shooter like I had thought).
So I guess it depends on the team. If you’re the Sixers and already have a similar player to Rudy Gay, then I would go for Johnson. But if you need an athletic wing player then Gay could be a possibility. Overall just by watching I think JJ is the better player, but I guess it depends on what you’re looking for.
I think people should be talking about Lebron to the Clippers more. It isn’t going to happen because the owner apparently likes to discriminate in his other businesses, but they would be a super awesome team if Lebron signed on.
Lebron and Chris Paul would certainly be the most fun to watch, but Lebron and Baron Davis would be almost as cool. Throw in Kamen, Griffen and whoever and you have a super dirty sick ass team.
I don’t care where Lebron goes, but i want to see him play with an elite PG…
Pete,
And while I was not a fan of the ‘big 3′ in boston, are you kidding you don’t want to see those three motherfuckers succeed on the same team? It would be really really cool to watch a team do what Jorden’s Bulls did….Lebron, Wade and Bosh would certainly be awesome to watch. They would destroy everyone….It would be highly entertaining. They would dominate.
And i like the theory that this opens up the East for the Sixers…Sure they’ll be battling for Third or Fourth best in the East, but it’s better then battling for a playoff spot….
And what kind of move will Orlando make to keep up with whichever team signs 2 of the new big 3?
Jake,
“It isn’t going to happen because the owner apparently likes to discriminate in his other businesses” – so why should people talk about it??
As for the “big 3″, yes they would be fun to watch but nearly impossible for me to root for.
You rooted for Iceland in the 2nd Mighty Ducks movie, didn’t you
Chuck - Sign and trade scenarios are in the mix for many of the free agents. Part of the problem is you can’t just do a sign and trade to do a sign and trade. Sometimes losing the guy is better than brokering a sign and trade that nets the home team inferior players with bad contracts.
Also, the player has to agree to a sign and trade by, well signing with the home team first. There is no way a top free agent would go for a sign and trade to a club he doesn’t want to play for. That’s why if the Suns wanted to do say the deal you propose where they ship A’mare to us, they would have had to just outright trade him because I don’t at all believe he would agree to a sign and trade to Philly now.
Guest - I think a lot of people immediately think Johnson. Then you look at the production levels and factor in age and it’s closer than people probably think.
I don’t think Gay will ever develop as a passer, but I do think he has the shot mechanics to improve his 3pt shooting efficiency to an acceptable level (with better shot selection and in the proper team role).
He needs to get tougher on defense though.
Howard didn’t bend at the waist. Casual effort.
Dwight Howard? Josh Howard?
Mo Howard! St. Joe’s Prep. Maryland.
haha, well played
JJ vs. Rudy – Neither of these players are worth max money, or whatever ridiculous money will be thrown at them this summer since so many teams have the money to spend. But ignoring the money (JJ will get paid more), and on talent alone, I think the obvious choice is JJ. Aside from the fact that he’s a good passer, he has the ability to step in and play the PG position for brief spurts during a game. He’s much more of a confident, lights out shooter than Rudy is from beyond the arc, and IMO has a better sense of the game…he understands how to move without the ball, and is very good at coming off screens. JJ is also an underrated on ball defender. He’s just more of an experienced vet on two teams that have made the 2nd round (Suns, Hawks)…he’s no legit go-to-guy on a game to game basis, but as a Robin, he’d be huge.
With Rudy…kid is only 23 years old, and certainly has a few year’s left of improvement in him. Like another posted said, I think he can definitely improve his 3 point shot more (right now it’s not much to speak of). Consistency can also be an issue for him, as sometimes he has Odom-disease and can float in and out of games intensity-wise. But right now…I just think his overall game as a package is in a lower stratosphere than JJ’s. Doesn’t have nearly the same IQ sense of the game yet, although I am impressed with how he’s grown from more of an “athlete only” type game during his year at UConn and first two years in the NBA…to a guy that has shown slow and steady improvement.
Dannie – The ’06 Heat team did not have any type of great season…as a WHOLE, I am saying. Yes, they finished the season under Riley 42-20, but I don’t think you’re remembering just how mediocre this team looked through the first half of the regular season. They were coming off a year where they won 59 regular season games and romped through the first two rounds (two sweeps in ’04-05) until facing a cohesive Pistons team in their prime that beat them in 7.
When they had their rough start, there was a huge amount of panic in Miami, and really the NBA, talking about how this team wouldn’t be able to get it together, they didn’t have enough complimentary players, chemistry wasn’t there, etc. etc…not just during the Stan Van opening but WHEN Shaq returned. They were a .500 ballclub, or slightly over, for an awfully long time during the season, and the media was really killing Riley for the whole “forcing Stan Van” out theory, with Riley performing no better himself for a while.
I’d be curious to check out their W-L record throughout that season to see when it was they started clicking (from memory it was coming into the all star break where they JUST started finding their swagger)…but to say this was a strong Heat team through and through the entire year is a mistake. The 04-05 team played with a lot more chemistry, Shaq was playing with a vengeance off the horrific Lakers debacle the previous year, and Wade really came into his own that year.
jjg: for all the pomp and fanfare that ‘King James’ brings, you cant fault him for not playing hard. i dont know how much of it is just his overwhelming talent but you cant sell it on the fact that he is all hype. in every year he’s been in the league he has raised his production, efficiency, defense and most importantly raised his team’s game. his current team roster is a joke for a supposed contender. sure he could do better, but its not like its all talk. he still delivers.
Jake – In response to your “How will Orlando match?” query, the two rumors I’ve seen float out on three different websites:
1. Swapping Vince Carter for Gil Arenas…a move I would do in a heartbeat, and feel might be the one team Gil could resurrect his career with. For three reasons:
-Gil will have had all the time in the world to get as healthy as his body allows…this might mean 80% of what he used to be, but that’s still pretty damn good.
-He’s got more balls, swagger, and moxie in one fingernail than VC does in his entire game.
-Will be playing with an ENORMOUS chip on his shoulder for obvious reasons, and like AI, he’s a guy you don’t bet on when everyone is counting him out.
2. Sign & trade for Carlos Boozer. Would give them a legit back to the basket scorer, someone that really knows how to play the high post game well and pass out of it, a tough rebounder, and good team player.
…I’m not saying either of these things are likely to happen, just that these are the two things I’ve seen pop up numerous times in connection to Orlando.
Hoopshype has updated their team/player salary section for the 2010-2011 year. Is a great resource if people are interested, because it breaks down (in a really easy to understand graph), each team’s next five years with each player currently under contract, highlights which players and which years are team options, player options, and the dollar amount of any rookie qualifying offers, and which year it comes in given each player’s individual contract.
aka: you get to see depressing things like: “Oh, crap, in 2014 Andre Iguodala will be making $15.9 million dollars…and in 2013 Brand will be making $18.16…and “Oh, look, there’s the qualifying offer of $3.35 million we will (let’s pray) NOT be paying Jason Smith in 2012.”
I take Gay because of the age factor mainly and the fact he can get better where Johnson is due to regress in the next few years.
Jumpin, its about promoting the players instead of the teams, what a shame.
It would be fascinating if the superstar and 2nd tier star free agents split right down the line on two different Eastern Conference teams, making two juggernauts in the East that would be entertaining to watch for years (and suck for our Sixers, unfortunately). Say the free agency bananza resulted in these two lineups:
Bulls:
PG – D. Rose
SG – J. Johnson / ________
SF – L. James
PF – ________ / C. Boozer
C – J. Noah
Heat:
PG – _________
SG – D. Wade
SF – R. Gay
PF – C. Bosh
C – _________
…just as an NBA fan, I’m rooting for a total split in talent. How !@$#ing awesome would it be to see a clash of the LeBron Titans on the Bulls and the D-Wade Titans on the Heat battle it out in the conference finals, or at least 2nd round, every single year? Damn.
Dave T – I think you need to go actually look at the game results from that season.
Shaq returned from his early season injury on game: 22.
The next 12 games him and Wade were on the court together they went 8-4. Then Wade missed a game in which they lost. Then in the next 9 games together they went 6-3. Then Wade missed another game in which they won.
Then they went 11-2 over the next 13 games together, then Wade missed 2 games. They then went 6-1 over the next 7 games together.
The final 16 games they actually only went 7-9. In those 16 games Wade missed 3 games and Shaq missed 5 (they sat out the final 2 games together – both loses).
End of the day: With Wade and Shaq in the starting line-up the Heat were: 36-17 that is a .698 winning percentage. Their winning percentage the previous year as a whole was .719 – not that far off. The difference – Wade and Shaq played less games together (Shaq only played 59 total games vs. 73 the year before.
You keep talking all this stuff about chemistry without ever mentioned the obvious reason why there may not have been chemistry – injuries. Aside from Shaq Posey only played 67 games and Jason Williams only played 59.
That was a strong team – clearly – they won the damn championship. Talking about them being a fraud is complete utter nonsense, especially when you are guesstimating everything without fact checking.
DeVon Hardin replaced on the Sixers summer league squad by Vernon Goodridge. No reason given.
Kinda sucks, I wanted to see if Hardin could play defense and provide some rebounding and energy as the 3 big.
Dannie – I didn’t know BBall reference had a section like that where they did splits on each starting lineup for every game of the season…awesome tool. And, I can’t argue your reasoning and numbers from the ’06 season.
Using your link, I looked up all three of the 04-05, 05-06, and 06-07 seasons…and realized I had completely confused the beginning of the ’06 and ’07 seasons. I knew the ’06 team was the one that rattled off a huge string of wins coming into and after the all star break, but must have pulled an old man memory and switched the crap-beginning of the ’07 season into what I remembered as the ’06 season. That kinda stuff can sometimes become a blur as the seasons wear on.
Appreciate the link, I’ll definitely be using it a lot this coming season. And that sucks about Devon Hardin, I was looking forward to seeing him as well.
Richard Jefferson just opted out of his contract and is now an unrestricted FA. Time has told that he is not exactly the player people thought he was, but it’s just ridiculous that after all the main FA bananas (Bron, Wade, Dirk, Pierce, Bosh, J. Johnson, Amare, Boozer) you still have guys like:
-Ray Allen
-David Lee
-Louis Scola
-John Salmons
-Al Harrington
-JJ Redick
-Travis Outlaw
…and now Richard Jefferson.
IMO opinion Jefferson did the Spurs a HUGE favor by opting out of his contract.
Spurs are in re-tooling mode (i assume if they are not delusional about contending). 15M off the books doesnt hurt esp. since RJ sucked it up there.
dunno who’s gonna give him a contract worth what he was making before or even as long as he expects. but then again, all this madness could be pretty profitable.
typo: redundancy (remove ‘opinion’)
addition: Nocioni or Kapono needs to opt out too. “Go play with Lebron guys!”
So far:
Rudy Gay – 5 years, $80 million
John Salmons – 5 years, $39 million
Drew Gooden – 5 years, $32 million
Darko Milicic – 4 years, $20 million
i bet if i opted out i could get some long term deal too.
After looking at some of those deals, the Iggy contract doesn’t look nearly as bad as it used to. Do you think he set the bar for overpaid mid level players?
Wow, I missed the story on Jefferson opting out of his contract. He and his agent must have been sucking down 4 foot bongs of crack rocks when they made that decision. He’ll be lucky to get 16 mil in a 4 year contract now, let alone next year!
Crooked – Iguodala is certainly more than a mid-level player. He’s a damn good NBA player, even with all his faults (many of which are glaring because we haven’t had a legit all star player on our team for the past few years, putting way too much responsibility on Iguodala’s shoulders) and IMO his proper salary should be $11 per year. We signed him to a deal where he averages, off the top of my head, about $13.5 million a year. So yes, we overpaid for him, but there are far worse contracts in the NBA, and money has been thrown around undeservedly on many players years before we overpaid to keep Iguodala.
Updated FA signings:
Rudy Gay – 5 years, $80 million (Grizzlies) John Salmons – 5 years, $39 million (Bucs) Drew Gooden – 5 years, $32 million (Bucks) Darko Milicic – 4 years, $20 million (T-Wolves)
Amir Johnson – 5 years, $34 million (Raptors)
…I’d say the TWolves, Raptors and Bucks are all making a classic mistake: overpaying role players. I’m actually ok with overpaying a legit NBA player, a starter/all star that is a big contributer to a team, a few extra million to make sure they stay. But overpaying roleplayers by $1-3 million per year will KILL a salary cap for any given team.
I like Darko as a defense/block shots C, but he should be getting $3.5 – 4 million a year, tops…and at 3 years, not 4. The Gooden deal I actually don’t think is too bad on a per year basis…IMO worth about $5 million a year, he’s going to get $6.5 per, but over the years has shown himself to be a productive player when given minutes, which he will get with the Bucks’ thin frontcourt. But giving a guy who is basically a stop-gap answer at PF a FIVE YEAR commitment is crazy. Amir Johnson making nearly $7 million per year is laughable. He’s had numerous chances to break out and become the player people have expected, and has not yet done so. He’s young and can still improve, and is certainly a guy anyone would like bolstering their frontcourt depth, but this is a $4 million a year guy. $5, tops.
And apparently Channing Frye TURNED DOWN a 5 year, $25 million offer from Phoenix…just insane to me, as Channing Frye is basically one of those soft, wussie big men that can shoot from the perimeter.
Milwaukee is proceeding like their stars are in place by rounding out their roster; Bogut !s big year and Jenning!s positive affect must have given the front office the idea that they are or will be stars.
Sounds like Miami got Bosh, which if true tells me Lebron won!t be going there, unless he agrees to take less than Wade and Bosh. Riley probably looks to use remaining cap space on midlevel guys; [Haywood, Miller, Blake types?] The proposed sign n trade is for Beasley, Chalmers , Anthony and trade exemption.
Read about Bosh on real g.m. forum that said a reporter was saying it but haven!t heard any followup so may not be valid. Crazy money being thrown around and these g.m.!s need to tighten up the c.b.a.?
Possible free agent centers that could be available when the dust settles:
-Rasho Nesterovic
-Kurt Thomas
-Fabricio Oberto
-Theo Ratliff
Anybody want to talk about how ridiculous it is that Joe Johnson was given a $119 million dollar contract? How do these players keep convincing idiot owners they are “max” players?
Here are the max players in the NBA (no particular order):
The NBA is messed up. Players and agents run the league. New CBA must change the salary situation so that contracts aren’t as guaranteed as they are currently. Players need to be held accountable for their performance after they sign these big deals and teams clearly need to be saved from themselves.
I found it funny when I read Wade questioning whether Miami would be able to build around he and one or two max guys; Dwayne they did this for you!!!
Boston had Perkins and Rondo, Chicago has Rose and Noa, how can Miami or New York improve up to that level with no money?
I have read that Portland likes D.Lee and if the Knicks end up with only Amare a Lee sign n trade for Pryzbilla/Fernandez/Bayless may be doable. The Knicks loved Bayless when he came out of college and Portland took 2 young guards [Williams and A.Johnson] on draft night.
Suede - I can understand Wade’s issue, it’s a real one. They didn’t quite think this through. No team has three max players for a reason – it eats up 90% of a team’s cap space and really, it’s not necessary. Two guys of that caliber is enough then fill out the roster with capable players.
As for what they can do, the same thing Boston did – draft well and spend your yearly exceptions (mid-level, bi-annual) wisely. The problem for the Heat is they can’t start doing that until next summer.
What they could do now is something like this:
Sign Wade to the Max – $16.8M first year
Sign Bosh to the Max – $16.8M first year
That eats up $33.6M, they currently have ~8.5M on the books (Beasley, Chalmers and Bledsoe are the only active players on the roster for next season, buyout for James Jones and qualifying offer for Joel Anthony). Meaning they are at about $42.1M. Or they still have ~$13.9M under the cap to sign higher rate free agents.
So the question is what impact players can they get for that ~$13.9M and what vet min guys can they bring in as well? My guess is they can probably sign two lower level impact players to go along with Wade, Bosh, Chalmers and Beasley. The rest will have to be vet min guys.
Something else I’ve been thinking about is this – Miami can go over the cap to resign Wade. I think they could hypothetically use up all their cap space on other players and just resign Wade and be significantly over the cap and well into luxury tax zone. Would they do that is an entirely different question.
There are a lot of players available on the market right now.
If teams are smart and can talk guys down off ridiculous contracts they don’t deserve you can pick up a couple solid role players if you’re the heat and Knicks.
If they get Bosh and Wade their depth chart could look like this;
[xxxxx], Anthony, Pittman
Bosh, [xxxxx], Varnado
Beasley, D.Butler
Wade, [xxxxx]
[xxxxx], Chalmers
Maybe resigning J.Oneal, signing M.Miller and a catch n shoot p.g. [Farmer?] gets them close but it will be tough.
They drafted Eric Bledsoe and decided to keep Chalmers why would they bring in Farmar? I think they could look at Mike Miller, Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler, Joe Smith, Eddie House, Brad Miller, and keeping Haslem at a reduced rate among other guys.
There are really a lot of players out there.
I thought Bledsoe ended on the Clippers, I could be wrong. I thought they ended up with Pittman, Varnado, Butler and Lat. Williams.
Suede - You’re right. Which means Miami has about a million or so more in cap space not having to commit anything to a first rounder.
I am not a fan of Farmar. He couldn’t excel in a limited role on the Lakers which is why they just signed Steve Blake. I really don’t see him being more than an average player at best.
They could look at C.J. Watson, Anthony Carter, they could bring back Arroyo as well. Blake would have been a solid fit as well if the Lakers didn’t snatch him up.
I thought Blake was ideal also; maybe K.Dooling is a cheaper option also. I brought up Farmer because I read somewhere he was limited in what he could do in the triangle offense and some people think he may blossom away from it. A good compliment to Wade is not easy to get, I almost think he could play with a s.g. for 24 minutes a night. Chalmers skillset fits if he ever gets it.
I actually would have liked to see the Heat draft Avery Bradley. I thought he would fit nicely, especially if he got his shot together. He could be a lock down defender next to Wade, doesn’t need the ball and can just be a spot up shooter. I think they really missed the boat on that pick, but they were clearly not intending to keep their first rounder.
I think that is a faulty plan given their need to fill out the roster cheaply with quality talent.
When the Celts took him I thought of the good old days when they would trade for D.Johnson to guard the Strangler and hoped he and Turner, down the road, could have such a rivalry. He and Rondo can be scary good together defensively.
Where do you think Lebron goes? The longer it takes I keep thinking Cleveland. And what do you think of Milwaukees summer?
I think LeBron stays right now with the chance to play in Chicago a close second.
I think the Bucks are trying to really compete and I think they really addressed their offensive issues with Maggette, Gooden and keeping Salmons. If Bogut can come back 100% they will be a playoff team. And if they all buy-in and lock in on defense under Skiles they will challenge people. AND they have Michael Redds’ $18.3M expiring contract as well.
I think after Lebron decides there are going to be moves galore and this summer may be more known for the deals done after the signings than the signings themselves. My biggest thing to watch is how Minny moves Jefferson; they have a nice young center tandem [ Pekovic and Milicic] locked up and have to move him now.
JJ, Dirk, PP and Gay have all re-signed with their teams. If Lebron and Wade re- sign with their current teams, I wonder where all of that money in Chi, NY and NJ goes? Are they really going to sit on some of it for a year?
That leaves only Bosh, Boozer and Lee to sop up the remaining dollars. So does that start a trade bonanza?
I actually think what happens is what probably should happen. All the super teams and all that was probably a bit of pipe dreams. Now teams will be forced to build their teams more realistically and sensibly.
You grab you #1 guy (or perceived) (Bosh, Amare, Boozer still throw in Wade and LeBron as well) and build the rest of your team with quality players. Chicago theoretically only needs one top guy since they already have Rose. You could argue New Jersey only needs one since they have Brook Lopez. Couldn’t he be Wade or LeBron’s Gasol?
Miami and the Knicks are in the worse spot since they need two elite players AND a the full compliment of role players. It’s really difficult to do that and while I think they could build a great team it would take probably another summer or two to do it and that might not appeal to Wade and LeBron having to wait.
I mean there are quality role players of every niche out there if teams are smart.
If I am Miami I may start worrying after Wades! comments about his children and custody and stuff; it looks like he may be creating an out for going to Chicago.