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He's gone though ...
You guys are just trying ANYTHING. Sounding desperate as hell ...
You guys are just trying ANYTHING. Sounding desperate as hell ...
.
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by pr0phecy718,
- Start date
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[h1]Knicks must avoid being used[/h1]
8 m ago By Alan Hahn
Beware of the eagerness of some of the information that is leaking out. For me, the idea that the Knicks are prepared to offer Joe Johnson a max contract on Wednesday night -- something you'd never get anyone in the know at 2 Penn Plaza to ever prematurely release --is suspect.
What does Joe Johnson and his representation really want here? A full max from his home team. A six-year, $120M contract that would take him to age 35.
Johnson already turned down a four year, $60M extension offer this past season, so it's clear he's looking for more. So what better strategy than to use the most desperate team on the market by suggesting the Knicks will go full max with Joe on Day 1 -- not even Day 1, Day -1 -- and give the Hawks today and tomorrow to consider investing almost half of the franchise's value ($306M according to Forbes) into one player.
I asked Walsh last week if he was wary of being used -- as New York usually is -- merely as leverage to get a players preferred team to ante up.
"I'm going to make an assumption that nobody's playing around out there," Walsh replied. "If they're going to meet with you and you're going to meet with them, then they're serious and that's how I'm going to treat it."
But recall last year when Jason Kidd went through the process of visiting the Knicks on July 1 only to get Mark Cuban to race out to New York City the night before and promise to guarantee an extra year. And all the Knicks could offer was the MLE, but the plan worked perfectly for Kidd.
Teams do this all the time. Once it got out that the Knicks were talking with the Trail Blazers about Rudy Fernandez, suddenly Portland was trying to get better offer for Moody Rudy. The Raptors were floated out on the rumor mill, but they were not even interested.
There are even indications that this meeting on Thursday in suburban Akron is a mere formality for LeBron, who has allegedly already made up his mind, depending on what national media personality you wish to believe and what NBA executive, player, agent, scout, coach or equipment manager you talk to on a given day.
Actually, the hot dog vendor at the AT&T Center in San Antonio swears LeBron is going to sign with Regal FC Barcelona because he is very intrigued about playing with Ricky Rubio. And that vendor is plugged in, yo.
As we reported today, the Knicks do have tentative plans to be in Los Angeles for the midnight deadline on Wednesday, which would be 9 p.m. Pacific time. We know for certain that Johnson and Stoudemire will be in L.A. on Wednesday.
But the Hawks plan to be there, as well. And what Johnson wants is the Knicks presence to scare the Hawks into giving up the farm for him to keep their middle-of-the-pack team right where they are.
The Knicks, especially Mike D'Antoni, are high on Johnson as a talent, but they're not convinced he is a centerpiece, which is why a package deal of him and his buddy Amar'e would set a much better cornerstone. And as I reported today, the Knicks won't offer a max contract before they first see if Johnson and Stoudemire would consider coming to New York for a little less than max in the first year (say $14M-$15M range for each) to allow the Knicks to use their cap space to add a third player, most likely a high-end point guard to bring it all together (Tony Parker, Darren Collison, Ray Felton, etc.).
The Knicks can try to sell taking less by suggesting that by moving their careers to New York (and, they hope, winning), both Johnson and Stoudemire will benefit financially off the court to make up the difference. Maybe Nike won't pay LeBron James any more money if he moved to a bigger market, but most other players have clauses in their sneaker deals that escalate the value of their endorsement deal if they are in a top market such as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago.
Most Knicks fans might view Johnson/Stoudemire as a letdown after two years of waiting for LeBron, but the Knicks did everything they could to get a sit-down with The King. That's as far as they could have ever controlled it. At this point, it's his decision.
That's not to say the LeDream is over. The Knicks have their pitch to him and his inner-circle on Thursday afternoon and they will go in guns a-blazing, hoping to elevate their status in his mind by accentuating their positives. At this point, those in his ear have been mostly dismissing the Knicks for not being championship-ready.
8 m ago By Alan Hahn
Beware of the eagerness of some of the information that is leaking out. For me, the idea that the Knicks are prepared to offer Joe Johnson a max contract on Wednesday night -- something you'd never get anyone in the know at 2 Penn Plaza to ever prematurely release --is suspect.
What does Joe Johnson and his representation really want here? A full max from his home team. A six-year, $120M contract that would take him to age 35.
Johnson already turned down a four year, $60M extension offer this past season, so it's clear he's looking for more. So what better strategy than to use the most desperate team on the market by suggesting the Knicks will go full max with Joe on Day 1 -- not even Day 1, Day -1 -- and give the Hawks today and tomorrow to consider investing almost half of the franchise's value ($306M according to Forbes) into one player.
I asked Walsh last week if he was wary of being used -- as New York usually is -- merely as leverage to get a players preferred team to ante up.
"I'm going to make an assumption that nobody's playing around out there," Walsh replied. "If they're going to meet with you and you're going to meet with them, then they're serious and that's how I'm going to treat it."
But recall last year when Jason Kidd went through the process of visiting the Knicks on July 1 only to get Mark Cuban to race out to New York City the night before and promise to guarantee an extra year. And all the Knicks could offer was the MLE, but the plan worked perfectly for Kidd.
Teams do this all the time. Once it got out that the Knicks were talking with the Trail Blazers about Rudy Fernandez, suddenly Portland was trying to get better offer for Moody Rudy. The Raptors were floated out on the rumor mill, but they were not even interested.
There are even indications that this meeting on Thursday in suburban Akron is a mere formality for LeBron, who has allegedly already made up his mind, depending on what national media personality you wish to believe and what NBA executive, player, agent, scout, coach or equipment manager you talk to on a given day.
Actually, the hot dog vendor at the AT&T Center in San Antonio swears LeBron is going to sign with Regal FC Barcelona because he is very intrigued about playing with Ricky Rubio. And that vendor is plugged in, yo.
As we reported today, the Knicks do have tentative plans to be in Los Angeles for the midnight deadline on Wednesday, which would be 9 p.m. Pacific time. We know for certain that Johnson and Stoudemire will be in L.A. on Wednesday.
But the Hawks plan to be there, as well. And what Johnson wants is the Knicks presence to scare the Hawks into giving up the farm for him to keep their middle-of-the-pack team right where they are.
The Knicks, especially Mike D'Antoni, are high on Johnson as a talent, but they're not convinced he is a centerpiece, which is why a package deal of him and his buddy Amar'e would set a much better cornerstone. And as I reported today, the Knicks won't offer a max contract before they first see if Johnson and Stoudemire would consider coming to New York for a little less than max in the first year (say $14M-$15M range for each) to allow the Knicks to use their cap space to add a third player, most likely a high-end point guard to bring it all together (Tony Parker, Darren Collison, Ray Felton, etc.).
The Knicks can try to sell taking less by suggesting that by moving their careers to New York (and, they hope, winning), both Johnson and Stoudemire will benefit financially off the court to make up the difference. Maybe Nike won't pay LeBron James any more money if he moved to a bigger market, but most other players have clauses in their sneaker deals that escalate the value of their endorsement deal if they are in a top market such as New York, Los Angeles or Chicago.
Most Knicks fans might view Johnson/Stoudemire as a letdown after two years of waiting for LeBron, but the Knicks did everything they could to get a sit-down with The King. That's as far as they could have ever controlled it. At this point, it's his decision.
That's not to say the LeDream is over. The Knicks have their pitch to him and his inner-circle on Thursday afternoon and they will go in guns a-blazing, hoping to elevate their status in his mind by accentuating their positives. At this point, those in his ear have been mostly dismissing the Knicks for not being championship-ready.
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Interestingly Enough I Just Finished Reading This Before I Clicked This Thread...
James has nothing to fear from Jordan
By Nick Friedell
Out of all the strange theories as to why LeBron James wouldn't want to sign with the Chicago Bulls this summer, there's always been one that made me scratch my head more than the others:
Why would LeBron James want to play in Michael Jordan's shadow?
Seriously?
Granted, like most NBA superstars, James seems to have an ego. There's no doubt that he would love to win an NBA title in Cleveland and take the Larry O'Brien trophy on a tour of Akron in the process. It would only solidify his standing as the once and future king of Northeast Ohio. But that doesn't appear to be a possibility for the foreseeable future.
The Cavs don't have the type of cap space that teams like the Bulls, Knicks and Nets -- among others -- can offer. Yes, the Cavs can sign James for more money and/or years, but they can't bring in another All-Star for him to play alongside unless the organization pulls off a miracle trade. They're stuck in a rut of playoff mediocrity and nobody in Cleveland can figure out exactly how to get out of it. A championship seems like the least of their worries, especially considering they don't even have a coach at the moment.
http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5306203">http://sports.espn.go.com.../enlarg...idth=640,height=750,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/1078/james-has-nothing-to-fear-from-jordans-legacy#">[+] Enlarge
Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty ImagesLeBron James -- and all NBA superstars -- will always be compared to Michael Jordan, whether they play for the Bulls or not.
Despite these circumstances, and uncertainties in places like New York, New Jersey, Miami and Los Angeles, there still seems to be a prevailing thought in some circles that James wouldn't want to come to Chicago because he knows he couldn't compete with the legacy Jordan created with the Bulls.
The events of the past few days, namely the proposed deal which would send Kirk Hinrich and his contract to the Wizards, thus freeing up even more cap space for the Bulls, make that assertion even more laughable than it seemed before. Putting aside the fact that James loved the Bulls growing up and absolutely idolized Jordan as a kid, Chicago gives James the best chance to win right now -- and over the last two months he’s said that’s all he really cares about.
People from other cities recruiting LeBron make it seem as if he'll never be able to live up to Jordan. My response to those folks is this:
Who will?
Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all time. James will be compared to Jordan no matter where he goes for the rest of his career, just like Kobe Bryant is right now and every other great player that came before him.
People make it seem as if a basketball player can't possibly function and be successful in Chicago while living under the constant glare of Jordan's transcendent career. That's funny considering last I checked Derrick Rose was doing just fine in Chicago and has quickly become of the most popular players in the league. Joakim Noah got off to a rough start in the Windy City but now he's beloved and has become one of the most popular athletes in town.
Heck, while it may not have the fervor that it did last year, the love is still ever-present for Jay Cutler and he was downright bad at times for the Bears. The city loves a winner and will treat the athletes that do so accordingly. The Blackhawks still can't take a step in town without being mobbed after winning the Stanley Cup, and that was several weeks ago.
That's the crazy part about all this talk. If James wins, nothing else will matter. Bryant found that out in Los Angeles after winning his NBA crowns. People still compare him to Magic Johnson and wonder who is the "Greatest Laker of all-time." Do you think he cares? He has five rings and is treated like royalty in Los Angeles.
Same goes for Kevin Garnett. He won a ring for the Celtics in 2008 and almost delivered another this season. He is worshipped in Boston and is credited, alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, as returning the Celtics to prominence. No, he doesn't have as many rings as Bill Russell or Larry Bird, but he cemented himself in Celtics lore with the one he already earned.
The story would undoubtedly be a little sweeter for James if he won a title in Cleveland because of the proximity to his hometown, but his legacy isn't going to be defined so much by where he won the title, as it will be by whether or not he won one at all and how many he racked up.
The truth is that on paper the Bulls are the team that give him the best chance to win a title right now and in the future. Bulls GM Gar Forman even thinks that the Jordan shadow will help the Bulls recruitment of James in the long run.
"I think one of the things that makes the Bulls such a storied franchise is Michael and Scottie [Pippen] and the success that they had, and in my opinion, that bodes well for the Chicago Bulls because it's been done here before," he said Friday on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio. "We won multiple championships. We've had terrific players and a terrific brand that's known worldwide."
Sure, the comparisons surrounding James and Jordan will be a little greater if he comes to Chicago, but in the end James is going to be judged the same way every other great player in the league is -- by championships.
Right now he has none.
If he ever wants to get into the conversation as being one of the greatest players of all time, that has to change, and change quickly.
And if that means signing with the Bulls and playing for the team that Jordan made famous, so be it.
There's always room for another statue on the other side of the United Center.
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[h1]Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade refutes reports that he already has agreed to visit New York Knicks[/h1]
Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, and son Zaire sit courtside during the third quarter in Game 5 of the NBA basketball finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, June 13, 2010, in Boston.
MICHAEL DWYER / AP
[h3]BY MICHAEL WALLACE[/h3][h3][email protected][/h3]
CHICAGO -- Before jetting away Sunday night for a vacation to set his professional agenda, Heat guard Dwyane Wade cleared the air on his free agency itinerary.
Wade denied reports that he has agreed to visit the New York Knicks on a recruiting tour, but would not rule out meeting with other teams to gauge their interest in his services.
``I haven't set anything in stone,'' Wade said in an exclusive interview with The Miami Herald before he departed O'Hare International Airport for an undisclosed getaway. ``It's funny when you hear these things come out, especially when they come out about you.''
Wade was addressing reports out of New York that cited league sources saying Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh already have scheduled visits to hear the Knicks' elaborate recruiting pitch.
Bosh and Wade are both represented by Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas, and they will be among the most sought-after free agents on the summer market.
Teams can begin contacting free agents Thursday, but those players can not sign contracts until the league moratorium ends July 8 and the 2010-11 salary cap is set.
Wade, 28, is expected to be contacted by the Knicks, Nets, Clippers and his hometown Chicago Bulls sometime after 12:01 a.m. Thursday. Each of those teams has enough salary-cap space to sign at least one star player to a maximum contract.
But no team can pay Wade more than the Heat, which is prepared to offer him about $125 million over six years, starting at $16.6 million for the 2010-11 season. Wade said Sunday that he bypassed one last extension offer from the Heat and will move forward with plans to opt out of his contract Wednesday.
Wade said he prefers to re-sign with the Heat, which will have about $30 million in cap space to spend in free agency in addition to what is set aside for Wade's deal.
Miami has only two players under guaranteed contracts next season -- forward Michael Beasley and point guard Mario Chalmers. Heat president Pat Riley has said his priority is keep Wade and boost his supporting cast by going after free agents such as Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson -- and even LeBron James.
Wade said he was aware of reports he would visit the Knicks, but dismissed it as speculation that surfaced only after James informed teams that he would not visit cities and would instead have team executives come to Ohio to make their recruiting pitches.
``You only heard this stuff after LeBron said he wasn't going to some places,'' Wade said. ``But none of us know what's going to happen. Not LeBron. Not me. Not Chris. Not any of us, right now.''
Wade will return from his trip Wednesday, when he will meet with Thomas in Chicago and officially opt out of his contract to enter free agency for the first time in his career.
``I love Miami and everyone knows that,'' Wade said. ``We worked hard to put ourselves in this position. But as a free agent, you explore everything and see what happens.''
Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, and son Zaire sit courtside during the third quarter in Game 5 of the NBA basketball finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, June 13, 2010, in Boston.
MICHAEL DWYER / AP
[h3]BY MICHAEL WALLACE[/h3][h3][email protected][/h3]
CHICAGO -- Before jetting away Sunday night for a vacation to set his professional agenda, Heat guard Dwyane Wade cleared the air on his free agency itinerary.
Wade denied reports that he has agreed to visit the New York Knicks on a recruiting tour, but would not rule out meeting with other teams to gauge their interest in his services.
``I haven't set anything in stone,'' Wade said in an exclusive interview with The Miami Herald before he departed O'Hare International Airport for an undisclosed getaway. ``It's funny when you hear these things come out, especially when they come out about you.''
Wade was addressing reports out of New York that cited league sources saying Wade and Toronto's Chris Bosh already have scheduled visits to hear the Knicks' elaborate recruiting pitch.
Bosh and Wade are both represented by Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas, and they will be among the most sought-after free agents on the summer market.
Teams can begin contacting free agents Thursday, but those players can not sign contracts until the league moratorium ends July 8 and the 2010-11 salary cap is set.
Wade, 28, is expected to be contacted by the Knicks, Nets, Clippers and his hometown Chicago Bulls sometime after 12:01 a.m. Thursday. Each of those teams has enough salary-cap space to sign at least one star player to a maximum contract.
But no team can pay Wade more than the Heat, which is prepared to offer him about $125 million over six years, starting at $16.6 million for the 2010-11 season. Wade said Sunday that he bypassed one last extension offer from the Heat and will move forward with plans to opt out of his contract Wednesday.
Wade said he prefers to re-sign with the Heat, which will have about $30 million in cap space to spend in free agency in addition to what is set aside for Wade's deal.
Miami has only two players under guaranteed contracts next season -- forward Michael Beasley and point guard Mario Chalmers. Heat president Pat Riley has said his priority is keep Wade and boost his supporting cast by going after free agents such as Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson -- and even LeBron James.
Wade said he was aware of reports he would visit the Knicks, but dismissed it as speculation that surfaced only after James informed teams that he would not visit cities and would instead have team executives come to Ohio to make their recruiting pitches.
``You only heard this stuff after LeBron said he wasn't going to some places,'' Wade said. ``But none of us know what's going to happen. Not LeBron. Not me. Not Chris. Not any of us, right now.''
Wade will return from his trip Wednesday, when he will meet with Thomas in Chicago and officially opt out of his contract to enter free agency for the first time in his career.
``I love Miami and everyone knows that,'' Wade said. ``We worked hard to put ourselves in this position. But as a free agent, you explore everything and see what happens.''
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[h3]LBJ Free Agency: 5 Questions on Bulls>Knicks premise [/h3]
June, 28, 2010
Jun 28
8:21
AM ET
By Chris Sheridan
So here we are, inside of 72 hours before the start of free agency, and there are those who are convinced the Chicago Bulls are the leading candidate to land LeBron James.
There is a compelling argument to be made in favor of that supposition (Chicago has the most talent in place with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah already under contract for 2010-11), but will that argument hold up under further forward-looking scrutiny?
It's an important question, because in my conversations over the weekend with several league sources keyed into the maneuverings surrounding the start of free agency July 1, the dialogue consistently circled back to one pertinent point: When LeBron looks at what will surround him on his future team, especially when weighing Chicago vs. New York, he is going to have questions of his own.
Such as:
_ Will the owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) be willing to spend whatever it takes to surround him with the right type of supporting cast?
Let's not forget that Reinsdorf has a well-earned reputation as being one of the more frugal owners in the league (he broke up a dynasty following the 1998 three-peat because in large part because he did not want to commit long-term dollars to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for what would be the downsides of their careers). Noah becomes a restricted free agent in 2011, and Rose in 2012. Is Reinsdorf willing to commit $150 million or more in long-term dollars (plus luxury tax money) to those two players on top of what he'll be paying James and another top-tier free agent? James will have no such qualms when it comes to the wallet-opening tendencies of Jim Dolan, who has shelled out luxury tax payments from Cablevision's deep coffers to pay for horrible teams over the better part of the past decade.
_ What do I know about the new coach, Tom Thibodeau?
The answer: Practically nothing when compared to what he knows of Mike D'Antoni. If you count up all the hours LeBron has spent on planes, trains, hotels and buses with D'Antoni since 2006, when the James first started playing under D'Antoni (and Mike Krzyzewski and Nate McMillan) with Team USA, you start running into the high triple-digits. D'Antoni and James have been together for dinners at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas, at U.S. military bases in South Korea, at Morton's in Macau, at Starbucks in Shanghai, and inside the locker room in Beijing when James celebrated the greatest accomplishment of his professional career by winning an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
_ Who is my 3-point shooter?
It won't be Kirk Hinrich, since he is heading to the Wizards on July 8. It won't be Rose, because he can't shoot the 3 (27 pct last season). It won't be Jannero Pargo, since he will be an unrestricted free agent and is not guaranteed to return, and it might not be Deng, because he may have to be used as a sign-and-trade chip to acquire that second max free agent (especially if that second player is Chris Bosh, who stands to make $30 million extra if he changes teams through a sign-and-trade deal). With the Knicks, he'd at least have Danilo Gallinari, who can stroke it so well that D'Antoni (in a mouthful of comment last fall) has described him as the best shooter he has ever seen.
_ Can Rose play off the ball?
That is one of the great unknowns in this whole equation, because Rose has shown himself (like James) to be a player who is most effective when he has the ball in his hands to run the offense. Can Rose subjugate his game to be the type of spot-up shooter that Mo Williams was in Cleveland? And what about the defensive end? Can Rose defend opposing point guards better than, or as well as, Toney Douglas can? Granted, Douglas is somewhat of an unknown on that level in the pros, and D'Antoni probably hurt himself in that department by limiting Douglas' minutes in favor of Chris Duhon last season. But Douglas was the defensive player of the year in the ACC during his final season at Florida State, and there's no taking that off his resume.
_ Can the Bulls improve themselves in the summer of 2011 as much as the Knicks can?
If the Bulls hang onto Deng and sign James and another max free agent, they will be over the cap in the summer of 2011 and will have only the mid-level exception to use (and there is a caveat there, too, since owners want to eliminate the MLE in the next collective bargaining agreement). If Deng is moved in a sign-and-trade, the Bulls will still be committed to at least $51 million in salaries for 2011-12, which would theoretically leave them some $5-6 million under the cap, thereby depriving them of the use of the mid-level exception (The MLE is not available to under-the-cap teams). The Knicks, on the other hand, will have Eddy Curry's $11.3 million salary coming off the books a year from now. If New York has two max players, plus Gallinari, Douglas, Wilson Chandler and Bill Walker on the books for the '11-12 season, that adds up to roughly $45 million in salaries. And if the 2011-12 cap comes in at $56 million again, New York will have $11 million to spend on putting supplemental pieces around their core -- an especially salient point given that the owners are seeking a hard salary cap in the new labor agreement.
Just a little food for thought for y'all to chew on until, and after, 12:01 a.m. arrives Thursday.
June, 28, 2010
Jun 28
8:21
AM ET
By Chris Sheridan
So here we are, inside of 72 hours before the start of free agency, and there are those who are convinced the Chicago Bulls are the leading candidate to land LeBron James.
There is a compelling argument to be made in favor of that supposition (Chicago has the most talent in place with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah already under contract for 2010-11), but will that argument hold up under further forward-looking scrutiny?
It's an important question, because in my conversations over the weekend with several league sources keyed into the maneuverings surrounding the start of free agency July 1, the dialogue consistently circled back to one pertinent point: When LeBron looks at what will surround him on his future team, especially when weighing Chicago vs. New York, he is going to have questions of his own.
Such as:
_ Will the owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) be willing to spend whatever it takes to surround him with the right type of supporting cast?
Let's not forget that Reinsdorf has a well-earned reputation as being one of the more frugal owners in the league (he broke up a dynasty following the 1998 three-peat because in large part because he did not want to commit long-term dollars to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for what would be the downsides of their careers). Noah becomes a restricted free agent in 2011, and Rose in 2012. Is Reinsdorf willing to commit $150 million or more in long-term dollars (plus luxury tax money) to those two players on top of what he'll be paying James and another top-tier free agent? James will have no such qualms when it comes to the wallet-opening tendencies of Jim Dolan, who has shelled out luxury tax payments from Cablevision's deep coffers to pay for horrible teams over the better part of the past decade.
_ What do I know about the new coach, Tom Thibodeau?
The answer: Practically nothing when compared to what he knows of Mike D'Antoni. If you count up all the hours LeBron has spent on planes, trains, hotels and buses with D'Antoni since 2006, when the James first started playing under D'Antoni (and Mike Krzyzewski and Nate McMillan) with Team USA, you start running into the high triple-digits. D'Antoni and James have been together for dinners at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas, at U.S. military bases in South Korea, at Morton's in Macau, at Starbucks in Shanghai, and inside the locker room in Beijing when James celebrated the greatest accomplishment of his professional career by winning an Olympic gold medal in 2008.
_ Who is my 3-point shooter?
It won't be Kirk Hinrich, since he is heading to the Wizards on July 8. It won't be Rose, because he can't shoot the 3 (27 pct last season). It won't be Jannero Pargo, since he will be an unrestricted free agent and is not guaranteed to return, and it might not be Deng, because he may have to be used as a sign-and-trade chip to acquire that second max free agent (especially if that second player is Chris Bosh, who stands to make $30 million extra if he changes teams through a sign-and-trade deal). With the Knicks, he'd at least have Danilo Gallinari, who can stroke it so well that D'Antoni (in a mouthful of comment last fall) has described him as the best shooter he has ever seen.
_ Can Rose play off the ball?
That is one of the great unknowns in this whole equation, because Rose has shown himself (like James) to be a player who is most effective when he has the ball in his hands to run the offense. Can Rose subjugate his game to be the type of spot-up shooter that Mo Williams was in Cleveland? And what about the defensive end? Can Rose defend opposing point guards better than, or as well as, Toney Douglas can? Granted, Douglas is somewhat of an unknown on that level in the pros, and D'Antoni probably hurt himself in that department by limiting Douglas' minutes in favor of Chris Duhon last season. But Douglas was the defensive player of the year in the ACC during his final season at Florida State, and there's no taking that off his resume.
_ Can the Bulls improve themselves in the summer of 2011 as much as the Knicks can?
If the Bulls hang onto Deng and sign James and another max free agent, they will be over the cap in the summer of 2011 and will have only the mid-level exception to use (and there is a caveat there, too, since owners want to eliminate the MLE in the next collective bargaining agreement). If Deng is moved in a sign-and-trade, the Bulls will still be committed to at least $51 million in salaries for 2011-12, which would theoretically leave them some $5-6 million under the cap, thereby depriving them of the use of the mid-level exception (The MLE is not available to under-the-cap teams). The Knicks, on the other hand, will have Eddy Curry's $11.3 million salary coming off the books a year from now. If New York has two max players, plus Gallinari, Douglas, Wilson Chandler and Bill Walker on the books for the '11-12 season, that adds up to roughly $45 million in salaries. And if the 2011-12 cap comes in at $56 million again, New York will have $11 million to spend on putting supplemental pieces around their core -- an especially salient point given that the owners are seeking a hard salary cap in the new labor agreement.
Just a little food for thought for y'all to chew on until, and after, 12:01 a.m. arrives Thursday.
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[h1]Johnson holds key to Knicks' Plan B[/h1]By MARC BERMAN
Plan B will be presented before Plan A.
Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni are finalizing plans to meet with Hawks free agent Joe Johnson in Los Angeles on Wednesday at midnight -- 9 p.m. California time -- when free agency officially begins before flying to Ohio for the LeBron James pow-wow.
The Knicks have long considered Johnson a maximum-contract player and they conceivably could try to get a commitment from him and taking that information to James on Thursday.
Johnson is said to be holding all his free-agent meetings in Los Angeles, home of his agent, Arn Tellem.
"Nothing has been scheduled," Tellem said.
Even crazier, the Knicks reportedly were trying to fit in Amar'e Stoudemire that evening, too, in Los Angeles, but Stoudemire's camp denied the report.
Johnson, who struggled during two rounds of the playoffs, has long been a D'Antoni favorite and the thinking is a Johnson/James pairing is just as much a home run as James/Chris Bosh. The Knicks may have gotten vibes Bosh is likelier to consider Miami.
If the Knicks strike out with both James and Bosh, D'Antoni also is excited about linking Johnson and Stoudemire with cap room to offer them two maximum contracts. Both are former Suns who played for him in Phoenix.
If Johnson leaves Atlanta, it's been speculated for months Johnson would want to reunite with D'Antoni. Factor in Tellem, who is close to Walsh and the agent of Danilo Gallinari.
Johnson-Stoudemire always has seemed a likelier pairing than either James-Bosh. But they may need to work out sign-and-trades with Atlanta and Phoenix, respectively.
During February's All-Star weekend in Dallas, Johnson told The Post, "[Mike and I] have got a great relationship. He gave me a chance to shine and become the player I am today. I love him, so I would visit."
The status of Stoudemire is more perplexing. He played for D'Antoni, but rumblings are he grumbled behind the coach's back about the Suns' defensive shortcomings. Stoudemire spent part of his childhood growing up in upstate Newburgh and has a definite affection for New York, according to a source. However, a source said the extra year Phoenix can provide is huge in Stoudemire's thinking.
Wade, expected to stay in Miami, and Bosh reportedly have agreed to recruiting visits to New York but they could be courtesy calls. In fact, Wade will first try to get Bosh to play with him in Miami, not New York. Wade and Bosh have the same agent.
'Miami is in top contention," Bosh told the Miami Herald. "With the money they have, the cap space they have, the rights on Dwyane [Wade], him possibly staying. And just having a good organization; they are known as a first-class organization."
Plan B will be presented before Plan A.
Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni are finalizing plans to meet with Hawks free agent Joe Johnson in Los Angeles on Wednesday at midnight -- 9 p.m. California time -- when free agency officially begins before flying to Ohio for the LeBron James pow-wow.
The Knicks have long considered Johnson a maximum-contract player and they conceivably could try to get a commitment from him and taking that information to James on Thursday.
Johnson is said to be holding all his free-agent meetings in Los Angeles, home of his agent, Arn Tellem.
"Nothing has been scheduled," Tellem said.
Even crazier, the Knicks reportedly were trying to fit in Amar'e Stoudemire that evening, too, in Los Angeles, but Stoudemire's camp denied the report.
Johnson, who struggled during two rounds of the playoffs, has long been a D'Antoni favorite and the thinking is a Johnson/James pairing is just as much a home run as James/Chris Bosh. The Knicks may have gotten vibes Bosh is likelier to consider Miami.
If the Knicks strike out with both James and Bosh, D'Antoni also is excited about linking Johnson and Stoudemire with cap room to offer them two maximum contracts. Both are former Suns who played for him in Phoenix.
If Johnson leaves Atlanta, it's been speculated for months Johnson would want to reunite with D'Antoni. Factor in Tellem, who is close to Walsh and the agent of Danilo Gallinari.
Johnson-Stoudemire always has seemed a likelier pairing than either James-Bosh. But they may need to work out sign-and-trades with Atlanta and Phoenix, respectively.
During February's All-Star weekend in Dallas, Johnson told The Post, "[Mike and I] have got a great relationship. He gave me a chance to shine and become the player I am today. I love him, so I would visit."
The status of Stoudemire is more perplexing. He played for D'Antoni, but rumblings are he grumbled behind the coach's back about the Suns' defensive shortcomings. Stoudemire spent part of his childhood growing up in upstate Newburgh and has a definite affection for New York, according to a source. However, a source said the extra year Phoenix can provide is huge in Stoudemire's thinking.
Wade, expected to stay in Miami, and Bosh reportedly have agreed to recruiting visits to New York but they could be courtesy calls. In fact, Wade will first try to get Bosh to play with him in Miami, not New York. Wade and Bosh have the same agent.
'Miami is in top contention," Bosh told the Miami Herald. "With the money they have, the cap space they have, the rights on Dwyane [Wade], him possibly staying. And just having a good organization; they are known as a first-class organization."
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I'm sorry Cake, did you say something that refutes my point? I wasn't listening.
And was Lebron denied the right to by shares in MSG because he wasn't a FA yet or because it works around the salary cap? Someone in here said we should over FA stock options, but wouldn't what happend with Lebron negate that?
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A part of the reason we have such issues with the media is because of James Dolan media policy. He's real strict with access granted towards media outlets, because he straight up hates them. I think that's part of the reason the media has it out for the NYK organization....we have a straight up #$!#@ relationship with them. Just a while back, I read an article in which our assistant coach (Kenny Atkinson) had received a warning from Dolan for being too accessible to the media. Not too mention for the past few years we've been nothing but a source of dysfunction for media outlets to try and speculate with:
Marbury
Isiah Thomas
Eddy Curry
A revolving door of coaches
This article right here talks about Dolan's issues with the media: http://www.nydailynews.co...james_dolans_media_.html
They're just trying to keep up the trend, plus this is the perfect opportunity to fire back at Dolan.
* I didn't originally come up with this whole idea, but I added a few things to it that I think fits in with the situation.
Marbury
Isiah Thomas
Eddy Curry
A revolving door of coaches
This article right here talks about Dolan's issues with the media: http://www.nydailynews.co...james_dolans_media_.html
They're just trying to keep up the trend, plus this is the perfect opportunity to fire back at Dolan.
* I didn't originally come up with this whole idea, but I added a few things to it that I think fits in with the situation.
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I have a strong feeling were gonna get johnson and bosh. as much as i want lebron so badly, he's prolly gonna end up resigning with the cavs.
live boy d
Banned
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This the Bulls offseason thread ?
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[h1]Knicks recruit Houston to land free agents[/h1]
Allan Houston will be a big part of Knicks' recruiting team this July – just as Donnie Walsh envisioned it when he was hired as his assistant.
Houston has an "in'' with the LeBron James camp, having known LeBron advisor William Wesley for years. Wesley will be at the Akron summit.
But Houston also has a chance to tell the free agents such as James and Joe Johnson what Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh can't tell them – what it is like to win in New York.
"It's been a few years since people have gotten to see, feel and touch a winner in New York and people forget how special that really is,'' said Houston, on the 1999 Finals Team and perennial deep-playoff squads across the '90's. "To me, it was exciting to be able to experience it firsthand. The guys who are free agents now are very smart, savvy and well-informed and all we can hope is their team of advisors helping him make the decision can help him see how special this thing really can be.''
Houston feels having a link to the Knicks' glorious years is important as a reminder it wasn't always like the current state.
"I would just hope the free agents would want to ask me what it's really like playing in New York and winning in New York,'' Houston said. "I believe it's big difference – playing in New York and winning in New York. Winning here is nothing like anywhere else.''
Allan Houston will be a big part of Knicks' recruiting team this July – just as Donnie Walsh envisioned it when he was hired as his assistant.
Houston has an "in'' with the LeBron James camp, having known LeBron advisor William Wesley for years. Wesley will be at the Akron summit.
But Houston also has a chance to tell the free agents such as James and Joe Johnson what Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh can't tell them – what it is like to win in New York.
"It's been a few years since people have gotten to see, feel and touch a winner in New York and people forget how special that really is,'' said Houston, on the 1999 Finals Team and perennial deep-playoff squads across the '90's. "To me, it was exciting to be able to experience it firsthand. The guys who are free agents now are very smart, savvy and well-informed and all we can hope is their team of advisors helping him make the decision can help him see how special this thing really can be.''
Houston feels having a link to the Knicks' glorious years is important as a reminder it wasn't always like the current state.
"I would just hope the free agents would want to ask me what it's really like playing in New York and winning in New York,'' Houston said. "I believe it's big difference – playing in New York and winning in New York. Winning here is nothing like anywhere else.''
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[h1]a summary of the Sheridan article (for those that didn't bother reading the whole thing)
[/h1][h1]
[/h1][h1]Sources: LeBron Will Have Questions About Bulls' Roster, Future[/h1]
With some viewing the Bulls as the frontrunners to sign LeBron James, multiple league sources tell Chris Sheridan of ESPN that LeBron James will have questions about Chicago's roster and future.
"n my conversations over the weekend with several league sources keyed into the maneuverings surrounding the start of free agency July 1," Sheridan writes, "the dialogue consistently circled back to one pertinent point: When LeBron looks at what will surround him on his future team, especially when weighing Chicago vs. New York, he is going to have questions of his own."
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf's track record of being averse to paying the luxury tax and his willingness to maintain the large payroll needed to win multiple championships is the first concern mentioned in Sheridan's story.
The others: The unknown quantity that is new coach Tom Thibodeau, Chicago's present lack of a three-point shooter who can spread the floor around James, whether Derrick Rose can play off the ball, on the wings aside James who often handles and initiates the offense, and the team's relative lack of flexibility to improve next summer compared to the Knicks who are set to have Eddy Curry's $11 million contract come off their books.
[/h1][h1]
[/h1][h1]Sources: LeBron Will Have Questions About Bulls' Roster, Future[/h1]
Spoiler [+]
"n my conversations over the weekend with several league sources keyed into the maneuverings surrounding the start of free agency July 1," Sheridan writes, "the dialogue consistently circled back to one pertinent point: When LeBron looks at what will surround him on his future team, especially when weighing Chicago vs. New York, he is going to have questions of his own."
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf's track record of being averse to paying the luxury tax and his willingness to maintain the large payroll needed to win multiple championships is the first concern mentioned in Sheridan's story.
The others: The unknown quantity that is new coach Tom Thibodeau, Chicago's present lack of a three-point shooter who can spread the floor around James, whether Derrick Rose can play off the ball, on the wings aside James who often handles and initiates the offense, and the team's relative lack of flexibility to improve next summer compared to the Knicks who are set to have Eddy Curry's $11 million contract come off their books.
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Dolan needs to just put his checkbook on the table and say, "we got your back"
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am i the only one that doesnt read any articles?
haha
haha
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No i dont either... All of it is full of %*%$ ... Ill jus wait til he ACTUALLY signs on the dotted line w/ a team.
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I dont believe anything right now
less then 3 days
less then 3 days
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Originally Posted by YEEUPP
If worse comes to worst, and Lebron, Bosh signed to Heats, CHI, or just stayed then..
IDK how we can afford that team but i wouldn't be too mad about it..
Amare playing center on Defense thooo......The defense he played vs Lakers this playoff series was terrible...
What if we did something snaky.. signed Joe Johnson.. Then traded Chandler-Joe Johnson for C.P3
There is a clause in the current CBA that prevents signing a player and then trading him...I did a project on the Summer of Lebron and found that one
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anyone just peep espnews? they love @%!$$!%+ on us lol
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btw I do not want JJ for max
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Now Stephen A switches in a week to Miami?
Everyone in the media needs to shut the hell up
Everyone in the media needs to shut the hell up
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They buggin. People seem to be ignoring many factors that funny enough all of us have acknowledged.
If LeBron wants to win next season and have a legitimate shot at a championship he goes to Miami.
If he wants to wait and be loyal or w/e he'll stay in Cle.
If he wants to be the main guy and win in a few (short) years he goes to Chi or NY, maybe NJ.
- Going to NJ I think it'll take longer to get to the finals than if he went to Chi or NY.
- If he wants high quality players around him that'll give him a better chance at multiple championships. He'll go to NY, since we're focused on building a team of all stars around him and have the money to do it.
- He could take that chance with Chi but he's gonna be in the shadow of Jordan and it won't be how it is with Kobe cuz ppl already saying Kobe better than Magic and is the best Laker. That won't be said amongst Bulls fans. On Chi LBJ might get to the finals and I tell you this if he loses he getting a +%%! storm of criticism. "Jordan wouldn't have done that", "Jordan would've made that shot", "Jordan would've pumped fake right there Bron Bron, you doin it wrong", etc. etc. (I mean I know I'll be saying that if he goes there).
So LeBron, if you want to be that guy, the money, the fame, immortality, multiple championships come to NY.
Anything else would be uncivilized.
If LeBron wants to win next season and have a legitimate shot at a championship he goes to Miami.
If he wants to wait and be loyal or w/e he'll stay in Cle.
If he wants to be the main guy and win in a few (short) years he goes to Chi or NY, maybe NJ.
- Going to NJ I think it'll take longer to get to the finals than if he went to Chi or NY.
- If he wants high quality players around him that'll give him a better chance at multiple championships. He'll go to NY, since we're focused on building a team of all stars around him and have the money to do it.
- He could take that chance with Chi but he's gonna be in the shadow of Jordan and it won't be how it is with Kobe cuz ppl already saying Kobe better than Magic and is the best Laker. That won't be said amongst Bulls fans. On Chi LBJ might get to the finals and I tell you this if he loses he getting a +%%! storm of criticism. "Jordan wouldn't have done that", "Jordan would've made that shot", "Jordan would've pumped fake right there Bron Bron, you doin it wrong", etc. etc. (I mean I know I'll be saying that if he goes there).
So LeBron, if you want to be that guy, the money, the fame, immortality, multiple championships come to NY.
Anything else would be uncivilized.
