I’ve said a million times now that if James goes anywhere it’s New Jersey or he stays put. He might even sign a 3 year deal with the Cavs and sign with NJ when that’s up. He’s not going to Chicago, too much pressure and the inescapeable shadow of Michael Jordan will make it unappealing for any big name free agent to sign there. Y’all think it’s a coincedence that they never sign a big name free agent and all their drafted players [recently] leave as soon as they’re up for free agency?
I think Wade stays in Miami and either Bosh or Stoudamire joins him, probably Bosh.
I doubt Phoenix re-signs Stoudamire. They’ve shopped this dude 2 or 3 seasons in a row and clearly don’t feel he’s worth max money. I agree with them. I could actually see either Stoudamire or Joe Johnson signing with Chicago for big money but not a max deal. The problem with Chicago spending big is Derrick Rose is up for free agency in 2 or 3 years and you know he’s gonna get his, and Chicago will kill to re-sign him, but can’t if they break the bank this year. Noah’s also gonna get paid, but he won’t get max money.
Dirk’s not going anywhere. He’s opting out so he can re-sign under a loophole that allows him to re-sign with a no trade clause, something only Kobe has.
Boozer’s proven to care more about numbers [on and off the court] than winning. He straight fucked Cleveland a few years back. Don’t know the guy, but that was a shitty move.
I said over and over in the NBA playoff thread that no elite guy would play with another. James wouldn’t/couldn’t play with Wade. There’s not enough shots or attention to go around. But, Wade could play with a Bosh 'cause he’d be ok as the second option in a Wade dominated offense. Honestly, anybody that played with James would have to adjust their games 'cause he’s so ball dominant. Wherever he goes and whoever signs with him will get a great regular season and a fizzled out playoff run until he learns to play off the ball better. Jersey actually would be a good spot with Harris as a set-up man. And in certain situations they could run James at the 1 and have Harris off the ball as a scorer in a fast paced offense. Either way, you’ve got a 50+ win team that doesn’t make it past the 2nd round.
Both Allen and Pierce are on a very sharp decline. Wherever they sign really won’t make a whole lot of difference. Not meant to sound harsh, just stating fact.
[quote]thefederalist wrote:
if you think the knicks aren’t getting lebron, dwade or bosh, you’re crazy. [/quote]
It’s a very real possibility. I would be surprised if Wade went anywhere else. He loves Miami, has already won a title there, they are already a playoff team, and they have the cap room to add somebody else. Also, don’t forget that the tax laws in Florida are extremely beneficial to high-end earners such as professional athletes, that can potentially mean millions over the span of a contract. Add in the fact that a current team can offer a bigger contract than any other team in FA, and I think that points to Wade staying.
Bosh seems like he is going in a sign-and-trade to Miami, the Lakers, or wherever Lebron goes. If Lebron stays in Cleveland (a very real possibility), I think Bosh will end up in Miami. If Lebron goes to NY, I think Bosh goes there.
I think for Lebron it’s 50% NY, 40% Cleveland and 10% chance of him ending up somewhere else.
I just can’t see Lebron going to the Nets. If he’s going to leave Cleveland, it’s going to be because he wants to position himself as this global icon in a huge market. He’s not going to do that playing in Newark for 2-3 years. I can’t see him going to Chicago because of the MJ thing. Dallas is an outside possibility because Cuban has already said he plans to play 8-10 games in the Cowboys stadium; when the Lakers roll into town, Lebron-Kobe could sell out the 80,000+ and that would be something no other place could offer. But I think it’s unlikely. The Clippers would seem intriguing on one hand because they have the pieces to move around in a sign-and-trade, and a lot of young talent, but nobody wants to play in Donald Sterling’s organization.
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
One thing I’ve also heard is that San Antonio might deal Tony Parker. He would be an expiring contract (although not a max deal) and George Hill is a more than adequate replacement. Supposedly Dantoni wants him in NY.
[/quote]
I think Parker has a good chance of leaving SAm maybe heading out West to Hollywood to play for the Clippers or Lakers because of Mrs Longoria. If the Lakers could get Parker maybe through some sort of deal with Shannon Brown and Mbenga/Powell or w/e they’d be incredible. A Laker team like that playing more euro style ball would dominate. Dealing Parker wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Spurs if they can get some big men in his place to complement Duncan and Blair.
As for LeBron I don’t really care where he goes HOWEVER I think he moves first and the rest of the freebies take suite. 2011 is going to be an interesting year for the NBA and I have a feeling the West will have a new powerhouse that will dethrone the Lakers…
I know some people aren’t big fans of LeBron’s actual style of play but what if he works on his J and long range shooting? And what if he gets a good PG that can get it to him? Like Flash said hes hasn’t been good off the ball but what if that’s because he hasn’t had a stand out PG. Just something to ponder…
So Bosh wants to tag along with another superstar. Yet I read an interview with him today that said “I’m not an addition to a team. I’m a centerpiece.” (paraphrased)
With that being said, he has two options: A) he can change his attitude and realize that if he plays with Wade/Bron/etc he’ll be second fiddle, or B) keep his attitude and be the star on a team that currently has no star. If B is the case, he might as well stay in Toronto.
^^that is such a stupid attitude to have. Basketball is a team sport. This isn’t tennis or golf or swimming… You’re on a team with teammates… Most of these guys have such huge ego’s that they cant play well with others. I hope guys like that go to teams to get their money but never win a ring.
.greg.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Y’all think it’s a coincedence that they never sign a big name free agent and all their drafted players [recently] leave as soon as they’re up for free agency?
Either way, you’ve got a 50+ win team that doesn’t make it past the 2nd round.
[/quote]
A) definitely NOT coincidence. Krause and Reinsdorf are very hard to deal with. Heck, MJ, Pippen and Phil Jackson have nothing to do with that franchise anymore due to the bitter taste left in their mouths by the way the Jerry’s handled things. They run a franchise the way it should NOT be run.
B) I think you’re referring to the Nets, which I’ll say you’re right. Avery Johnson will use the run-n-gun style offense he did in Dallas, so NJN will score 100+ on the regular and make the playoffs, but will be burned out to make a serious run.
[quote]gregron wrote:
^^that is such a stupid attitude to have. Basketball is a team sport. This isn’t tennis or golf or swimming… You’re on a team with teammates… Most of these guys have such huge ego’s that they cant play well with others. I hope guys like that go to teams to get their money but never win a ring.
.greg.[/quote]
For sure. Article for reference:
http://www.nbadimensions.net/forums/nba-forum/56242-chris-bosh-wants-centerpiece.html
[quote]Gettnitdone wrote:
If the Lakers could get Parker maybe through some sort of deal with Shannon Brown and Mbenga/Powell or w/e they’d be incredible. [/quote]
Yes, but let’s be realistic, nobody wants DJ Mbenga, and Shannon Brown doesn’t have much trade value either. The Lakers would probably have to move Bynum to get Parker.
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Y’all think it’s a coincedence that they never sign a big name free agent and all their drafted players [recently] leave as soon as they’re up for free agency?
Either way, you’ve got a 50+ win team that doesn’t make it past the 2nd round.
[/quote]
A) definitely NOT coincidence. Krause and Reinsdorf are very hard to deal with. Heck, MJ, Pippen and Phil Jackson have nothing to do with that franchise anymore due to the bitter taste left in their mouths by the way the Jerry’s handled things. They run a franchise the way it should NOT be run.
B) I think you’re referring to the Nets, which I’ll say you’re right. Avery Johnson will use the run-n-gun style offense he did in Dallas, so NJN will score 100+ on the regular and make the playoffs, but will be burned out to make a serious run.[/quote]
Wade was just talking about how he wasn’t really considering Chicago due to their the ex-players lack of respect [for lack of a better term] towards the organization.
I was talking about Jersey if they sign James. I think Avery Johnson is a hell of a coach who got a raw deal in Dallas, and I think Jersey has some nice pieces and are WAY better than their record shows, but I just don’t see them doing much in the postseason. I will say though that a Devin Harris/LeBron James combo could be bananas. Their running game would blow the doors off some teams.
That sucks about Bosh’s comments. I thought he was cooler than that. Oh yeah, I just got back from CO man. It’s gorgeous out there!
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
[quote]Gettnitdone wrote:
If the Lakers could get Parker maybe through some sort of deal with Shannon Brown and Mbenga/Powell or w/e they’d be incredible. [/quote]
Yes, but let’s be realistic, nobody wants DJ Mbenga, and Shannon Brown doesn’t have much trade value either. The Lakers would probably have to move Bynum to get Parker.[/quote]
Agreed that Mbenga has almost zero value, but Shannon Brown has proven he can be an athletic defensive stopper off the bench. He’s got some trade value fa sho. The Spurs aren’t giving up Parker for anything the Lakers have to offer not named Gasol though. People forget that Parker was injured for a good portion of last season. George Hill played well in his absence [and when he came back for a bit], but he’s not ready to take over the starting spot yet. I’d be shocked if the Spurs traded Parker and handed the reins to Hill. A healthy Parker brings an awful lot to their team.
Yeah, Shannon Brown’s okay, but what could you realistically get for him if you’re the Lakers? Nowhere near a player of Parker’s caliber, and not even a George Hill. If I’m the Spurs, I wouldn’t move DeJuan Blair for Brown either. I don’t think the Lakers would even consider moving Gasol for Parker though; Gasol is a top-5 big man and Parker is definitely not a top-5 guard.
I would be surprised if the Spurs dealt Parker but not shocked. They obviously aren’t winning another title with the Duncan-Manu-Parker nucleus. George Hill is a capable player, and I think at some point you have to roll the dice and see if he can carry the load. I’m not sure who the Spurs could get for Parker, but if they could get a young big man to take some of the load off Duncan and extend his career a few more years, similar to how Duncan did for Robinson, it would be worth it to move him. I don’t know if there’s anybody that really matches up. They aren’t getting Gasol. They could get probably get Bynum, and he has shown a ton of potential, but big men with health issues are bad news. It’s kind of the same story with Tyson Chandler. If they took Curry’s deal, they might be able to get Gallinari, but I don’t know if the Knicks do that deal, or if Gallinari fits with Jefferson.
They are kind of between a rock and a hard place because they probably aren’t good enough to be a real contender in the forseeable future, but any move they make is more likely to make them worse than it is to improve their team.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
That sucks about Bosh’s comments. I thought he was cooler than that. Oh yeah, I just got back from CO man. It’s gorgeous out there![/quote]
Yeah didn’t think he was like that, but oh well. Glad you liked it out in CO, did you go to Estes Park again with your GF?
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
That sucks about Bosh’s comments. I thought he was cooler than that. Oh yeah, I just got back from CO man. It’s gorgeous out there![/quote]
Yeah didn’t think he was like that, but oh well. Glad you liked it out in CO, did you go to Estes Park again with your GF?[/quote]
I dont think there are many players out there (good ones anyway) that arent like that.
There was a big piece on ESPN today about LeBron wanting to be a billion dollar athlete and trying to expand in the global market by breaking into the market in China… but he’s really struggling cause Kobe has China locked up. I guess the Chinese value a Champion (and a five time champion at that) more than a charismatic high flying stat machine. lol The experts were saying that LeBron needs to get a couple rings before he ever makes the big bucks globally
.greg.
I’m not really seeing how Bosh’s comments were all that bad. I think he’s not entirely sincere and will accept second fiddle to Wade/Lebron, and I think he may actually be a better player as second fiddle [from watching him play in Toronto]-- which is enough to say disagree with his comments. But they’re not all that incendiary, unless it was a comment that wasn’t in the linked article.
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
Alright we’ll start with LeBron:
I can all but guarantee you he’s not staying in Cleveland. My guess is NJ. Him and Jay-Z are boys, new owner in Prokhorov, new coach in Johnson (which players in Dallas liked AJ) and a team that already has a decent core with Harris and Lopez. Harris I think would be the perfect sidekick for LBJ. They also have the #3 pick in the draft, hopefully they pick Derrick Favors from Ga. Tech. So you’re looking at Courtney Lee, Devin Harris, LBJ, Favors and Lopez as the starting five. Looks decent to me.
D-Wade: staying in Miami
Bosh: he’ll go where another big star is. My guess is the Heat with D-Wade
Amare: Bulls
Dirk: Suns (replaces Amare, reunite with Nash for one last title run)
Joe Johnson: stays in ATL
Allen and Pierce: both stay in Boston
Manu: Spurs for life
Fisher: stays with Lakers
Phil Jackson: coaches Lakers next season[/quote]
So Donnie Walsh spends the past few years clearing cap space for 2 max guys this year and they get…?
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
That sucks about Bosh’s comments. I thought he was cooler than that. Oh yeah, I just got back from CO man. It’s gorgeous out there![/quote]
Yeah didn’t think he was like that, but oh well. Glad you liked it out in CO, did you go to Estes Park again with your GF?[/quote]
Yeah man, we spent 2 nights in Boulder, one in Ft. Collins, one in Estes and one in Denver. It was awesome. Hope all is well on your end homey. Be easy. Also, I really like that more people on T-Nation are getting involved on talking ball. It used to be pretty slim pickins around here. Glad everyone [even the trolls] have something to say.
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Yeah, Shannon Brown’s okay, but what could you realistically get for him if you’re the Lakers? Nowhere near a player of Parker’s caliber, and not even a George Hill. If I’m the Spurs, I wouldn’t move DeJuan Blair for Brown either. I don’t think the Lakers would even consider moving Gasol for Parker though; Gasol is a top-5 big man and Parker is definitely not a top-5 guard.
I would be surprised if the Spurs dealt Parker but not shocked. They obviously aren’t winning another title with the Duncan-Manu-Parker nucleus. George Hill is a capable player, and I think at some point you have to roll the dice and see if he can carry the load. I’m not sure who the Spurs could get for Parker, but if they could get a young big man to take some of the load off Duncan and extend his career a few more years, similar to how Duncan did for Robinson, it would be worth it to move him. I don’t know if there’s anybody that really matches up. They aren’t getting Gasol. They could get probably get Bynum, and he has shown a ton of potential, but big men with health issues are bad news. It’s kind of the same story with Tyson Chandler. If they took Curry’s deal, they might be able to get Gallinari, but I don’t know if the Knicks do that deal, or if Gallinari fits with Jefferson.
They are kind of between a rock and a hard place because they probably aren’t good enough to be a real contender in the forseeable future, but any move they make is more likely to make them worse than it is to improve their team.[/quote]
Didn’t mean for that to sound like I thought they would [or wanted to] swap Gasol for Parker. That was just to illustrate my point that they’re not moving Parker. The Duncan/Ginobli/Parker combo doesn’t work anymore 'cause 2 of the 3 are way past their primes and they don’t have the role players they once did. Don’t remember how old Parker is, but pretty sure he’s around 28 and should be entering his physical prime. If his body holds up he’s shown the ability to put up some pretty big numbers. I agree that they’re in a tough situation though. They’re too good to get anything in the draft but not good enough to make a deep postseason run anymore. You may be right. They might have to trade some older, proven producers to clear way for younger players and potential picks. Not really sure if that’s Spurs front office style though. Gues we’ll see.
Alright, can we all take off of our retarded caps for a moment? 
There is no way the Lakers are trading Bynum for any type of guard whatsoever. Did you all just watch the same playoffs I did? It was the Lakers size which ended up being the biggest factor that trumped everything else. Yes, even a hobbled Bynum was highly effective at playing defense, getting rebounds and making Pau’s job easier down low.
The ONLY acceptable trade for Bynum is another comparable big man, that’s it. I can guarantee that Mitch Kupchak is not and will not trade Bynum for any guard at all.
And I’m willing to bet they’ll get some veteran point guard who will take less money with the opportunity to win a championship with the Lakers if they can’t trade for one.
[quote]randman wrote:
Alright, can we all take off of our retarded caps for a moment?
There is no way the Lakers are trading Bynum for any type of guard whatsoever. Did you all just watch the same playoffs I did? It was the Lakers size which ended up being the biggest factor that trumped everything else. Yes, even a hobbled Bynum was highly effective at playing defense, getting rebounds and making Pau’s job easier down low.
The ONLY acceptable trade for Bynum is another comparable big man, that’s it. I can guarantee that Mitch Kupchak is not and will not trade Bynum for any guard at all.
And I’m willing to bet they’ll get some veteran point guard who will take less money with the opportunity to win a championship with the Lakers if they can’t trade for one.[/quote]
I dunno, if the Spurs call up the Lakers and say, “Parker for Bynum, straight-up,” do the Lakers say no?