LEBRON JAMES 2010 FREE AGENCY THREAD

[SoundBreaker]

Re: Knicks rountablt chat on ESPN, regarding Bron

 

[chiefwahoo]

Re: Knicks rountable chat on ESPN, regarding Bron

As always, merging with the LeBron 2010 mega-thread...

 

[TheBigLeBronski]

Re: Knicks rountable chat on ESPN, regarding Bron

Chris Sheridan: No argument there, Angelo, but people tend to overlook that it's more about what the Knicks will look like in 2011 than what they look like now. Remember, if they can;t move Curry and Jefffries, they'll have max room again in '11, along with a draft pick (their '10 pick is the property of the Jazz).

Ok, the Knicks and about 29 other teams are in the same position for 2011, minus not having an 2010 pick, and having a better team.

 

[Fursdon]

Defining decision looms for LeBron

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/michael_rosenberg/10/29/lebron/index.html

Defining decision looms for LeBron : Michael Rosenberg

LeBron James is going to the Knicks. He's staying in Cleveland. He's going to the Nets, to play for that Russian billionaire, or maybe he'll find a way to play with his buddy Dwyane Wade somewhere, or he'll go to Europe or China and make $9 million per game for some team named after a cell-phone manufacturer. Then he'll buy the cell-phone manufacturer.

This is the story that won't go away this NBA season -- it is, at once, extremely tiresome and oddly fascinating. It's tiresome because we are destined for eight months of rumors and no actual news, and now that Cleveland has started the season 0-2, talking heads will inevitably ask if LeBron's impending free agency is a distraction.

But it is fascinating because it's not just about where an incredible athlete plays basketball for the next few years. It is about this question:

Who is LeBron James?

We know that he has the basketball skills to lead a franchise to a half-dozen championships; that he wants to be the richest man in the world; and that he is the rare superstar who could play his entire career down the road from where he grew up.

But which of those qualities defines him? Answer that, and you'll know what he'll do next summer.
If playing in Cleveland means so much to the Akron native, then of course he'll stay there. But this is the same guy who not only pulls for the Yankees but also cheered them on at a playoff game in Cleveland, and that gives us at least one insight into James: He knows he can do whatever he wants, and he wants you to know it.

That may explain why James did not sign a contract extension with the Cavaliers over the summer, even if he plans to stay there. He likes holding the cards. As long as James remains unsigned, the Cavaliers are scared to death of him, and he likes it that way. Every major personnel move has to go through him. He wants Shaquille O'Neal, the Cavs get Shaquille O'Neal. It remains to be seen whether this please-the-King approach leads to a championship.

Cavs management has been eager to satisfy James, and it has led to short-term moves that didn't make the most financial sense. If James had signed a 10-year deal starting in 2005 (yes, I know that's not even legal in the NBA -- I'm being hypothetical here), I wonder if Cleveland would have overpaid Larry Hughes, acquired Ben Wallace and traded for Shaquille O'Neal. In every case, Cleveland seemed desperate to empty its wallet, to show LeBron that the Cavs would spend like a big-market team.

Even if he stays in Cleveland, James is clearly not the kind of guy who takes over a lousy franchise and decides he is married to it, in good times and bad, till retirement do they part.
But what drives him? Is it fame? If so, he'll leave for New York. Even Wayne Gretzky has said there is nothing like playing in New York --- and he was the idol of his home nation, then a star in Los Angeles before playing for the Rangers.

Is LeBron driven by the desire for championships? If so, he can't possibly leave a 60-team win in Cleveland for the rebuilding Knicks, can he? Yes, LeBron instantly makes New York substantially better, but right now his best shot at winning a title is in Cleveland. This year's Knicks may win 30 games if they're lucky, and the franchise is pinning a lot of its hopes on next summer's free-agent market.
Maybe LeBron James will decide that winning championships is his business. Maybe he has wanted to go to New York all along. Maybe he is bluffing and wants to stay in Cleveland. Whatever the case, when James announces his plans next summer, we will learn more than just where he is going. We will find out who he is.

 

[chiefwahoo]

Re: Defining decision looms for LeBron

As always, straight to the LeBron 2010 mega-thread...

 

[CreamHB]

LeBron & Wade 2010?

Wade on playing with LeBron: 'It's something we've talked about'

Full Interview loocated at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-wade-interview-s111109,0,4500259.story

Key parts for those who don't want to read the article...

Q. Do you get together in the offseason?

A. "We get together every offseason. Most of the time, he winds up coming to Chicago, because Chicago is a nice city in the offseason. But, like I've said, we've been together every offseason but maybe this one, because of the Olympics and because of what that has brought. So, we've been there. Even this offseason, he came to Chicago for a couple of days and we got together. It's just different things like that."

Q. Do you always go to his house when the Heat plays in Cleveland? Does he always come to your house down here?

A. "No. It's just sometimes. I haven't been at his house in a while."

Q. Erik Spoelstra just had an interesting quote. He said "I don't play fantasy basketball" when we asked him about you and LeBron on the same team. Do you, in your mind's eye, when you go to bed at night, play a little fantasy basketball and ever entertain the thought of you on one wing and LeBron on the other? Do you ever entertain that thought, of being teammates on an NBA team?

A. "Well, I mean, I've seen that on Olympic teams. So, you know, I've had that experience of saying, 'What if I played with these guys.' I've had the experience of playing with Kobe, and LeBron and Chris Paul and 'Melo. I've had the experience of doing that. But I really don't go to sleep thinking, 'What if I played with them and they had on the same jersey, the Heat jersey I have on,' because that's so fictional, that's so far out there. No one ever thought with K.G. or Paul Pierce or Ray Allen would all play together. It just happened."

Q. But those were trades. You guys can make it happen. If one guy says 'yeah,' then it is a done deal, it can happen. Doesn't that make this a little more unique? You don't have to ask Pat Riley, 'Can you trade for someone?' You can sit down on July first and say, 'We're going here together.' This is a little different isn't it? This really could happen.

A. "It really could. And, like I said, it's something we've talked about, of course. He's one of my good friends and we both decided at the same time to sign the same contract, to give ourselves the ability to be able to control our own destiny. And if we want to, we could team up. If not, we can stay separate and compete against each other for years to come."

Q. What about the question of "being the man"? Can two superstars who are wings play together, or really, in this game, do you need to build through a big man, a point guard and a wing?

A. "Well, I don't know. If you look back in history, history shows that you need a big man to win championships, guards don't win it, certain offenses don't win it. But, at the end of the day, you don't know until you do it. You need leaders. You need good players to win, and no matter what position they're in. That's what you need."

Q. Is the notion of you and LeBron a longshot in your mind, or is it a real possibility?

A. "I mean it's a longshot, no question about it, it's a longshot. I mean, I'm in Miami; he's in Cleveland. He's been put in a position in Cleveland where he has the opportunity to compete for a championship now. And I'm in Miami, where I've won a championship and this is where I love to be. So it's not like we're both looking over our shoulders, saying, 'I want to get out of here.' It's a longshot, but, at the end of the day, it is a shot."

 

[chiefwahoo]

Re: LeBron & Wade 2010?

Sigh...

 

[nime]

Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

If Bron bolts, Miami makes most sense
By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive

MIAMI -- First, let me say this: If Wednesday's dismantling of the Orlando Magic was a sign of things to come, LeBron James almost certainly will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers next summer. LeBron loves playing near his hometown of Akron and respects coach Mike Brown and his teammates, and if the Cavs can consistently play as well as they did in Orlando, there's no reason to leave Ohio.

But if Wednesday was just an aberration, if the new-look Cavaliers are more pretender than contender, if they are what they were last season -- regular-season titans, postseason playthings -- then for the sake of his legacy, James may have to go elsewhere.

And elsewhere is Miami.

His other realistic options in the summer of 2010 are a joke. New York and New Jersey look like Big East squads right now, and Chicago doesn't yet have the cap room to offer a max contract. (Word to the wise: Forget what you heard last week -- James won't settle for less than the max. Would you?)

I'm not saying James and his buddy Dwyane Wade's teaming up in Miami is probable. But if Cleveland fizzles again in the postseason, if Boston or Orlando again proves to be too talented for the Cavs, then LeBron could, and maybe should, bolt for South Beach.

I say "should'' because for years LeBron has been trying to do the near-impossible: win a title without another star teammate.

Check the annals: Only one time in the last 30 years has a team with just one star finished as champion. And that crew, Hakeem Olajuwon's 1994 Houston Rockets, beat another team in the Finals, Patrick Ewing's New York Knicks, that featured just one star.

Nowadays, every club in the title hunt, except Cleveland, is stacked with stars.

Boston has three future Hall of Famers and a budding perennial All-Star in Rajon Rondo, not to mention four-time All-Star Rasheed Wallace. Orlando has Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson. San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson.

And in L.A., the Lakers have five guys with all-star ability: Kobe, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.

Want to throw in the Denver Nuggets? They have at least Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

Meanwhile, LeBron's going to war with a 37-year-old Shaq (11 points, 7 rebounds a game) and Mo Williams, who while good is somewhere between the 11th- and 15th-best point guard in the league.

That's good enough to get the Cavaliers close, but to get over the top, to get through the league's gauntlet of powerhouses, LeBron needs that second guy.

And honestly, I don't see how Cleveland's going to get that guy in the near future. It won't have the cap room next summer to add a top-flight player, and no combination of players in LeBron's supporting cast is good enough to fetch a star player in a trade.

Which brings us to Miami.

Obviously, Dwyane Wade is nobody's sidekick. That's why I've always written off the possibility of a LeBron-Wade tandem in the past. They're both No. 1 guys who should have their own teams.

I actually used to think such a pairing would be somewhat unfair to the rest of the league. You know, having two of the three best swingmen on earth playing together. But when I look at the aforementioned list of contenders, when I look at the fact that Kobe has a straight-up bulldog in Artest next to him, I wonder whether LeBron and Wade need to team up.

It would have to happen in Miami since no other team would have the cap room to sign both players.

Is it possible?

It would take some sacrifices on LeBron's part.

First, he'd be going to someone else's team, although the Heat would immediately go from being D-Wade's team to LeBron-and-D-Wade's team. Even though LeBron's the better overall player (I think), there'd be no 1 and 1A, just two 1s.

Also, the unschooled might say such a move would mean LeBron couldn't win it on his own. But MJ never won it without Scottie, Magic and Oscar never won it without Kareem, Bird never won it without Parish and McHale, Jerry West never won it without Wilt, Dr. J never won it without Moses Malone, and Kobe and D-Wade never won it without Shaq and/or Pau.

History is clear: It takes two, at least.

LeBron would also have to take less money, since the collective bargaining agreement allows Cleveland to give him one year and roughly $30 million more than any other team. But he'd still be a max guy, and it's possible he may want to sign only a three-year deal anyway, just to give himself more options down the road.

Could it work on the court?

It would take some adjustments since each player is used to having the ball in his hands. And since they wouldn't have a great big man, not to mention how stacked other contenders are, they wouldn't be a shoo-in for the championship (at least not every year).

It's tempting to say LeBron could just be the point forward, playing the role of Scottie Pippen (though again, he clearly wouldn't be second in the pecking order), but it's also legitimate to wonder whether Wade would be as effective playing primarily off the ball.

Still, with two all-time greats in their prime, I'm sure Heat president Pat Riley (and every other living creature) would be willing to take that chance. LeBron certainly wouldn't object to a drop in his scoring, and his averaging a triple-double.

Is this all fantasy?

Certainly not my fantasy. I'm from Cleveland, so I hope The King stays put.

But in the end, LeBron's going to be measured by his rings. His individual accomplishments have already secured his spot among the elites of all time. But to reside among the elites of the elites (MJ, Magic, Bird, Kobe), he needs jewelry -- and he may need Wade.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=broussard_chris&page=LeBronMiami-091112

First they got Hollinger saying LBJ to Minny.
Now Broussard saying LBJ to Miami.

WTF ESPN?
ESPN doesn't want LBJ in Cleveland.

Wade and LBJ would never play together. Both want to win it all by themselves, neither will take less money to do so. James winning a title by himself with a strong supporting cast would do more for his credbility than pairing up with Wade to win multiple titles.

Seriously Wade needs to get out of Miami. Those fans suck. It would be horrible for the NBA to put Wade adn LBJ in a city that doesn't deserve Wade and LBJ.

 

[Chris]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

Weak, Broussard, weak.

Posted in the 2010thread already though.

 

[theSTEREO.]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

No matter what, I just don't see LBJ to Miami for one huge glaring reason... Ego.

Would Lebron wanna play with someone like Wade or Bosh, etc.? Oh, for sure.

But considering that he legitimately has the chance to be considered the GOAT, there's no way I ever see him going to a team that wouldn't be considered "his team". If Lebron goes to Miami, no matter what the media says, he will be joining Wade's team, not vice versa.

I could see Lebron trying hard to convince Wade or Bosh to come here... LBJ has strong, strong ties here... Non-basketball reasons to be here, whereas Wade and Bosh have no real ties to their cities. It's not like Wade is playing in Chicago, or Bosh in Texas. This would be HIS team, no matter who else played here. Heck, even if they went to New York, it would already be HIS team since he's practically considered Jesus there anyway.

Long story short, there's just no way that Lebron's ego let's him play in Miami with Wade.

 

[The Oi]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

Let's forgot about ego for a second...

Could the Heat afford to pay ANY other players if they had Wade and LeBron on the same team?

 

[Silky Smooth]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

I cant see Lebron going to Miami. Beasley doesnt look like a sure thing and Jermaine Oneal is on his way out. Our teams our pretty similar but our team has better chemistry with eachother and we are looking to win a championship as to Miami just trying to get past the 1st round. Also i cant see Lebron and Wade willing to be teammates. They both love to have the ball in their hands 90% of the time and they both want the ball at the end of games. I honestly think if they really want to be teammates Lebron has the ability to somehow get Wade to come to Cleveland. Some how, some way.

 

[PIP]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

If LeBron was serious about winning ? Then Orlando would make the most sense.. Get the endorsement cash, live off that and use the winning to build a legacy...

They have a quality coach.
Dominant big man
Shooters everywhere

Plus, no state tax and they're opening up a brand new arena in a season or two..

No team in the league would come close to beating the Magic in a series if you plug LBJ in that 3 spot...

Why am I even typing this ?

 

[nime]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

On Saturday, ESPN will ask Hubbie Brown to write an article about how Utah can offer the best trade package for LeBron if the Cavs continue to tank.....

Followed by article on Tuesday about how trading for Jackson could be a sign LeBron is leaving

ESPN Merry Go Round.....

 

[bushwick_bill]

Re: Chris Broussard on Cavs, and LeBron to Miami

Lebron 2010 section?