http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2094076
It seems LeBron's list and most of the members of this site lists are the same.
It seems LeBron's list and most of the members of this site lists are the same.
James did not mention Cavaliers free-agent center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, whom James openly campaigned to keep last season.
The the way mr.inf, isnt that the sugar free red bull can?
A Mac aka The Truth Why not? Curry could play next to Z at the four. That isnt a reach for him
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/11989707.htmJames must lead recruiting
With team leadership not set, star player will need to be very involved when Cavs go after free agents
The time has come for LeBron James to back up the talk.
He has done it his whole life on the court, even though it was never him who had been doing the hyping. Now is not the time for playing, though, it is the time for business and politics, and those are more important than ever for the Cavaliers.
At 12 a.m. Friday morning, the free-agent period begins. By this time next week, some of the league's best free agents might be off the market. Teams can't officially sign players until July 22, but the handshakes -- oops, perhaps not a good word in the post-Carlos Boozer era -- will begin in earnest this week.
During a news conference Friday afternoon in Akron, James stood confidently and said he'd like to have a say in how the Cavaliers use their $25 million (or so) in salary-cap space. As the unabashed standard-bearer of the team, he should. But it comes with more responsibility than just rattling off a list of free agents he likes.
James has to be involved in -- no, lead -- the Cavaliers' recruiting effort.
Last July 1, the Phoenix Suns loaded up an entire delegation, including Amare Stoudemire, flew to Dallas and knocked on Steve Nash's door. Within hours, Nash decided to leave the Mavericks, and the rest is history.
There's more to that story, of course. Armed with a bucket of salary-cap space, the Suns threw a crazy six-year, $65 million contract at Nash, a deal so rich not even billionaire playboy Mark Cuban matched it. But having the team signature star there to sell the concept went a long way, too.
Now the Cavaliers have the bucket of cash and the glaring needs. Of the top free agents out there, specifically Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Larry Hughes and Joe Johnson, the guy the Cavaliers have the best chance of getting his Redd.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is a master seller. Listen to his presentation about his companies and their way of doing business, and you'll label him a visionary.
But his speeches and ``isms'' can't turn Cleveland into Atlanta or Los Angeles, can't change Ohio's unfriendly tax structure, and can't make up for a franchise with a 35-year history void of championships.
So this week, whether it takes a home visit with flowers or a bouquet of Nikes, James has to get involved in the pursuit of free agents. He has got to express his desire to play with them, get them shots, share the spotlight, whatever it takes.
The Cavaliers don't have a general manager or president, making them look like an aimless ship to the NBA, whether it is true or not. They don't seem to have a grounded plan or plan B, C, D or M for attack in the free-agent market. That can all be neutralized with cash and an outreached James hand.
Gilbert is going to have to overpay to get one of these guys to Cleveland, there's no doubt. It might take an absurd offer to Redd, perhaps even a maximum-level contract, even though not many believe that he's a max player. And James is going to have to be standing at his side.