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NBA Free Agency
- Thread starter burk48237
- Start date
Well, Donald Sterling is still the owner and he has a long record of being a cheap SOB. I can't imagine LeBron playing for that guy when he has other options. Also, I don't see the Clippers being fortunate enough to get a 7-foot perennial All-Star in exchange for a ham sandwich like the Lakers did from Memphis.
Well, Stoudamier is reportedly a done deal with the Knicks. I suspect they'll sign one more big name. And the Bosh, Wade, James deal in Miami is done. Reportedly Bosh won't take anything less then a max deal after Johnson's deal. And no one has enough cap space for three max deals. Both Wade and Bosh would have had to take less than max deals, and Miami would have had to dump Beasleys contract to make it happen.
Bosh and Wade have decided to go to Miami. Boozer has signed with Chicago. And the King (of media attention anyway) announces tomorow on ESPN in his own one hour show.
My best guess:
1) Ughh!! he goes to Miami.
Great for Miami, good for casual fans, sucky for serious BB ball fans. So the new way to build a team, have one popular Superstar, draft poorly, dump contracts, have a party town, and talk a couple of big names into coming? So much for wise management making careful personal decisions to build a team with quality role players. Having said this I wouldn't hand them the trophy just yet. They only have two other players under contract, Michael Beasley (who they may have to trade for Bosh) and Mario Chambers. My personal feeling is if this happens the league is going to have to tweak the salary cap. Right now the league punnishes teams who draft smart and try to build around team basketball, especially if you get a real sleeper in the second round. And why should a team over the cap get a mid-level exemption?
2) He goes for Chicago.
Actually in the long run this could be a better team then Miami, with Rose, Deng, Noah, and Boozer added to the mix.
3) He stays in Cleveland.
Perhaps he thinks that with Byron Scott running the show, perhaps a trade or two and a season to get use to running with Jammerson, he could be the home town hero? I doubt it.
4) He goes to NYC
Stoudomier and James will score a lot of points and lose a lot of games together if this happens. The only reason he would go is the media attention. OTOH.
My best guess:
1) Ughh!! he goes to Miami.
Great for Miami, good for casual fans, sucky for serious BB ball fans. So the new way to build a team, have one popular Superstar, draft poorly, dump contracts, have a party town, and talk a couple of big names into coming? So much for wise management making careful personal decisions to build a team with quality role players. Having said this I wouldn't hand them the trophy just yet. They only have two other players under contract, Michael Beasley (who they may have to trade for Bosh) and Mario Chambers. My personal feeling is if this happens the league is going to have to tweak the salary cap. Right now the league punnishes teams who draft smart and try to build around team basketball, especially if you get a real sleeper in the second round. And why should a team over the cap get a mid-level exemption?
2) He goes for Chicago.
Actually in the long run this could be a better team then Miami, with Rose, Deng, Noah, and Boozer added to the mix.
3) He stays in Cleveland.
Perhaps he thinks that with Byron Scott running the show, perhaps a trade or two and a season to get use to running with Jammerson, he could be the home town hero? I doubt it.
4) He goes to NYC
Stoudomier and James will score a lot of points and lose a lot of games together if this happens. The only reason he would go is the media attention. OTOH.
In non-King news - Ray-Ray is back in the fold and the Big 3 will have at least one (and maybe two, Ray has a player option on the 2nd year) more chances to win together.
I hope the Celts are not done in free agency, we need a big man as Perk won't be back until February and even then is not likely to be effective until the following season. I understand that they are talking seriously to Shaq.
I hope the Celts are not done in free agency, we need a big man as Perk won't be back until February and even then is not likely to be effective until the following season. I understand that they are talking seriously to Shaq.
Lebron James is full of himself. Blocking out an hour of prime time TV for a 10 second announcement is stupid. David Stern is an idiot for letting this crap go on.
In other news....I did say that Ray Allen signed. Great news.
-Mike
In other news....I did say that Ray Allen signed. Great news.
-Mike
LBJ is full of himself - certainly not the first athlete that you can say that about.
However, Stern is NOT an idiot. He knows exactly what he is doing and this is a positive thing for the league. That doesn't mean everyone is going to agree or like it, but his track record is such that I find it difficult to question his decisions.
However, Stern is NOT an idiot. He knows exactly what he is doing and this is a positive thing for the league. That doesn't mean everyone is going to agree or like it, but his track record is such that I find it difficult to question his decisions.
I get what you mean dangnewt. To me, this kind of BS is alienating long time fans of the NBA such as myself. I'm already bitter about how the Sonics deal went down, and then to see this crap on TV tonight makes me care even less about the NBA product as Stern is marketing it today.
-Mike
-Mike
I'm not a huge Mavs fan but I keep up with em cause they're in Texas lol
Dirk should absolutely stay put IMO, he has done wonders for their team and honestly is pretty much their team.
Dirk should absolutely stay put IMO, he has done wonders for their team and honestly is pretty much their team.
Good riddance. He can sit on their bench for half the season and whine about a bruised kneecap.
I'll go out on a big limb and say he's going to New Jersey!!! 
If it's Miami, how will they be able to afford to pay the rest of the starters and the players on the bench?
A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
If it's Miami, how will they be able to afford to pay the rest of the starters and the players on the bench?A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!
It won the Celtics and Lakers championships recently, didn't it? Rondo and Farmar are their only draft picks to make their rosters.
Also, we found out tonight that David Lee has lost his mind.
I can't speak for the Lakers but "one popular superstar, draft poorly, dump contracts" was not what built the '07-08 Celtic team.
Four of the top 8 were (2 starters and 2 guys off the bench) were drafted by the Celtics.
Rondo - you are correct.
Paul Pierce, you may have heard of him, was drafted by the Celtics - he was one of the better 10th picks in NBA history.
Kendrick Perkins was a draft day trade by the Celtics - not too shabby for a 27th pick.
Tony Allen - better than the average 25th pick.
Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were both acquired by trades which involved giving up a lot of drafted players and draft selections.
Miami won't win one title with those three. Wade will get hurt like he always does, Bosh will level off to a Rashard Lewis type player, and James will be left with a team pretty much like the one he left. James has already proven he doesn't have the ability to carry a team to a championship.
Orlando and Boston have to be loving this. All of those guys on one team now, so they can wipe them all out in one playoff series.
-Mike
Orlando and Boston have to be loving this. All of those guys on one team now, so they can wipe them all out in one playoff series.
-Mike
If I was 25, wealthy and my busy season was from late fall to late spring - Miami would be an attractive place to work. I noticed he said, South Beach not Miami.
At least he kept to his stated goal of winning - that basically left Chicago and Miami. Greg - you are familiar with the weather in both places, are you surprised by this decision?
At least he kept to his stated goal of winning - that basically left Chicago and Miami. Greg - you are familiar with the weather in both places, are you surprised by this decision?
I wouldn't be making any room in the showcase for the Larry O'Brien trophy in South Beach. They still have no point guard, little three point shooting, no center, little interior defense, no bench and no money to get any of that stuff. In a couple of years, maybe. To me personally it still stinks. It's a slap in the face of every GM whose done his due diligence, drafted wisely and tried to build a team for the distance. Why do they even bother with a draft anyway? They might as well just send all the big money superstars to big markets and say screw you to the small market teams.
On the other hand, their was one other team of superstars a few years ago. Grant Hill went to Orlando to team up Tracey McGrady, that didn't go over to well.
On the other hand, their was one other team of superstars a few years ago. Grant Hill went to Orlando to team up Tracey McGrady, that didn't go over to well.
