mama, there goes that free agent!: 2010 offseason thread

regular season thread's over, playoff thread is on for sixteen teams-- so it's time to contemplate the offseason for the bottom half of the league. plus, we can drop in offseason chatz as the tnt crew drops GONE FISHIN' shops on the rest. oh and i hear there is this lebron fellow who might catch a little talk over the summer.

sorry to mark jacksonize the thread title, he's all in my head after the beating phoenix threw at utah on the worldwide leader last nite

grown-man move!

mamma there goes that grown man

not on my watch

good thread title, excited

let the firings begin!
rip eddie jordan (http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/coaches/30029.jpg)
rip clippers interim coach kim hughes ("I was surprised,'' Hughes said)

Warriors coach Don Nelson will return to the team for the 2010-11 season.

I <3 Nellie. T'was not always so, but he has improved with the passing years.

What this thread needs is a free-agent / expiring contract roll call. But I can't be arsed to locate or assemble one. You non-playoff guys need to get cracking on this.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

(pat on the butt)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__cezjirArH0/SeOkZDpTsNI/AAAAAAAACD4/RITmreVNfb8/s400/Pause+hat+pennys.jpg

rip clippers interim coach kim hughes ("I was surprised,'' Hughes said)

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss51/tr_fudge/ept_sports_nba_experts-427468268-12.jpg
yahoo!

camby 21m-2y ;____;

Camby's been killin it and seems to like the team/city a lot. And there's no chance Przybilla contributes next year (and lord knows about Oden, really) so it had to be done, even at that price.

apparently teams are going to get an extra 2-3 million to work around with for 2010-11 salary cap

lol @ that jpg

apparently teams are going to get an extra 2-3 million to work around with for 2010-11 salary cap

not talked about much now, but there are good free-agents in the 2010 -- 2011 offseason, too.

Re: Camby's 10 million per. Sounds to me like a bit of Paul Allen's billionaire lurv floating down from on high. And, yes, the Blazers need a center without crutches, and they don't want to miss any window that might be opening for them, sooo... lucky Mr. Camby!

biggest surprise for me is that Cambys isn't down with a season ending injury yet!

hey, the blazer's season isn't over yet. i wouldn't go betting that camby won't lose a limb before all is said and done.

dunno where to post this but I lol'd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb2UME1fBYo&feature=player_embedded

oh my god loooooooooooooooooooool

oh my god loooooooooooooooooooool

― am0n, Tuesday, April 27, 2010 9:01 PM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lolling @ all suggestions that pop wd go to NJ b/c he speaks russian

the most general of general speculation, fwiw:

Q: At the start of the year it seemed as though the Heat and maybe one or two other teams would have cap space this summer to go hard and sign the top free agents. But now, there appear to be four or five teams with money and a number of other teams with sign-and-trade aspirations to get the likes of Bosh and others. This may not be as easy as we had hoped it would be to get the players we want. Your thoughts? -- Clark.

A: You pretty much hit it on the head. The higher projected cap added more teams to the equation and the sign-and-trade possibilities have opened seats for others at the party. That is why Pat Riley clearly must have something in place. To make the type of vows he has offered and define such a "dynastic" blueprint has to involve more than wishing and hoping.

honestly, i don't see it. no way does riley have a commitment from lebron james. and bosh now has so many possible suitors, via sign-and-trade scenarios (e.g., lakers and mavs) that i can't see anything he may have said or inferred at some point in the past still being iron-clad. of course, we'd need wade to stay, so after those three, who's left? carlos boozer? i dunno.

stoudemire w/wade would be pretty sweet

i agree. but if the suns, say, get to the WC finals, don't you figure stoudemire stays? whatever bad feelings existed seem to have already been put aside since the trade deadline passed.

besides, i'd rather have bosh. i guess wade -- stoudemire -- bosh could work.

think the mavs are pretty conclusive proof that great pg + jump shooting big man is not one of the better combos in the league

hornets are exhibit b

go hard

rumors. . .

mama,..

just killed a man

sports radio was talking about the possibility of Pat Riley coming back to coach in a vain attempt to lure any and all big ticket free agents to Miami.

would do it if i was riles

not sure that's a good read of the situation. i mean, maybe it's ego-driven by riley. but it seems to me more likely that top-shelf free agents might come to miami to play with wade and for riley, and may pass if spoelstra is the coach instead.

anyway, so how are we gonna get bosh, stoduamire and chris paul this offseason . . . ?

rumors. . .

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, May 3, 2010 2:36 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

The Raptors literally blew up in Bosh's face this season.

i think riles is really looking at coaching to another ring as his reward for working hard in 2010apalooza, i dunno how spoelstra can work always waiting for the knife in his back

i mean hes a great basketball mind but can u really trust this dude

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5159192#

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0503/nba_a_patrts_300.jpg

spoelstra can work himself out of the heat coaching job without any help from riley.

http://www.sculpturegallery.com/three/human_male_skull.jpg

is this also a picture of pat riley? having a hard time telling the difference.

OH STOP

lol he old

http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/blog/images/2008/06/26/pat_riley_oj_mayo.png

(sigh). i'm old, too.

NOT AS OLD AS PAT RILEY, but old nonetheless.

do ppl who follow the heat not rate spolestra? he always seemed ok to me

he isn't bad, i suppose. but he hardly inspires the kind of confidence that might attract top-shelf free-agents. they may come, anyway, but i very much doubt because of spolestra.

I just wonder how he manages to get any respect in the locker room.

yeah, exactly. riles wouldn't have any such problem.

i think players in the nba care less about the coaches than in any other sport, and i find it a little hard to believe that someone like chris bosh really cares all that much about what pat riley did in the early 90s when he was coaching the knicks and bosh wasn't even 10 years old

there, i disagree. riley had a dynasty in the 80s; reinvented a franchise -- and his own style of play -- in the 90s; and proved himself a top-notch team builder and coach in the 00s. anytime you have a highly respected captain leading the ship it inures to your benefit.

i mean, you're right, in a sense: times change, and it's a players league now. but still, the contrast in stature and gravitas between spolestra and riley is striking.

I have the suspicion that only a small subset of NBA players actually care about winning a chip and the rest are just happy to be paid millions of dollars to play basketball

this really has nothing to do with wanting to help lure free agents to miami -- it's just about riley's ego and ultimate boredom with not coaching -- he treated svg like a piece of shit & he's prob gonna do the same to spoelstra -- and it's not gonna matter one bit -- so fuck him

that's probably true throughout life, not just in the nba. xpost.

I have the suspicion that only a small subset of NBA players actually care about winning a chip and the rest are just happy to be paid millions of dollars to play basketball

― going non-native (dyao), Monday, May 3, 2010 8:47 PM (17 seconds ago) Bookmark

i get this sense too, because basketball can be such an individual game, it seems like it has less of a culture of sacrifice for the team & stuff that football, baseball & hockey have -- i guess it's also just like, a lot of the times what's good for the star is also good for the team, except when it's not, but that's hard to measure when you are the star

hah for me it's moreso because NBA contracts are, in the world of sports, one of the best deals you can get as an athlete. players have insane amounts of leveraging power, when compared to say, the NFL.

ANYWAY I DO NOT CARE ABOUT RILEY PER SE I JUST WANT WADE, BOSH AND CRIS PAUL ALL ON NEXT YEAR'S HEAT TEAM

where did chris paul enter the picture? are the hornets going to trade him?

yeah, there's been speculation about a trade (not necessarily to the heat, but because the hornets are likely to lose paul, anyway).

yeah paul has to be looking at deron and saying "if i had a team rite now"

not sure what in god's name the heat could trade chris paul where it would be even remotely worth it for them

if they traded the whole team minus dwayne wade, the hornets would cut 8 of those players

one rumor around the trade deadline was paul to the mavericks. another rumor had paul going to the spurs for tony parker.

the heat rumor involved beasley and many others, but i think those expendable bodies are needed for the bosh and/or stoudemire move.

spurs did offer a parker-centered deal last year that the hornets properly rejected iirc

with collison and thornton, not sure youd necessarily need a PG in return, but you would def need all-star level talent for it to be worth it imo

if beasley was the centerpiece of a deal involving chris paul then they should seriously ban the hornets from the nba for collusion

i could see the heat doing a sign and trade? or something? idk. doesn't make very much sense to me, because even their picks would be really low

hahaha all hella congressional hearing MLB style

if beasley was the centerpiece of a deal involving chris paul then they should seriously ban the hornets from the nba for collusion

THEY DIDN'T BAN WHATEVER-THAT-TEAM WAS FOR TRADING PAU GASOL TO THE LAKERS.

maybe if the heat traded beasley to a team with a high first round pick, then they could wheel that to the hornets...........? i honestly see no one on the heat that is of worth

again, the problem is that beasley would have to be part of any sign-and-trade that brings bosh, which is the hottest current rumor.

can't see why beasley has fallen so far so fast. he was the no. 2 pick not long ago. . .

true, but chris paul is way better than gasol

OTOH, i guess beasley's an awful nba player?

he can't play D, isn't efficient, and under no circumstance could be a #1 on a contending team

true, but chris paul is way better than gasol

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, May 4, 2010 10:30 AM (38 seconds ago) Bookmark

don't know how you can say 'way better'

beasley's defense is pretty awful, it's true. he can score, tho, and i guess he could become more efficient.

On February 1, 2008, Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with a 2010 second round draft pick for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's younger brother), and 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks

this would be the equiv of the heat trading michael beasley, dorrell wright, quentin richardson, joel anthony and a 2010 and 2012 draft picks for chris paul... which seems, i can't think of the word right now... maybe "theft"

don't know how you can say 'way better'

― going non-native (dyao), Monday, May 3, 2010 9:31 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

i mean gasol is great on the lakers, but it's not like he was ever gonna be in the top 3 of mvp voting as the #1 on the grizzlies -- paul on the other hand

xp well that was the general sentiment around the time of the gasol trade too

don't know how you can say 'way better'

― going non-native (dyao), Monday, May 3, 2010 10:31 PM

its easy, try it :)

wait, the entire balance of the gasol family was traded to memphis for pau?

xp well that was the general sentiment around the time of the gasol trade too

― going non-native (dyao), Monday, May 3, 2010 9:33 PM (16 seconds ago) Bookmark

yeah no i know, but like i said, paul is still a cut above

I dunno - pau is about as rare as they come in the NBA, big man with a really good post game & court vision

okay, fine. who else is available as a point-guard this off-season?

another thing -- this is kind of a bill simmons article, but i think it's true -- if the hornets are forced to trade chris paul, it will effectively kill basketball in new orleans -- can't say the same about pau & memphis

bill simmons argument**

how does that figure into the 'are paul and pau comparable in terms of trade-value' argument?

okay, fine. who else is available as a point-guard this off-season?

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, May 3, 2010 9:35 PM (59 seconds ago) Bookmark

lol no one -- i think this is kind of an overrated meme because in crunch time wade is your point guard anyway, and when they won in 06 their point guards were jason williams & gary payton

how does that figure into the 'are paul and pau comparable in terms of trade-value' argument?

― going non-native (dyao), Monday, May 3, 2010 9:37 PM (41 seconds ago) Bookmark

because i think the hornets will be much more reluctant to trade paul

lol no one -- i think this is kind of an overrated meme because in crunch time wade is your point guard anyway, and when they won in 06 their point guards were jason williams & gary payton

well, if that's the case, I WANT JOE JOHNSON FROM THE HAWKS

they very well may trade him btw -- i just don't see how the heat could compete w/ other teams if paul was on the market

still, wade, bosh and johnson make a hell of a team.

dynasty-like? hmmmmmm . . . maybe.

wade and joe johnson don't really make sense at all

joe johnson was a #1 in ATL for however many years, i don't think he's so starving to win an nba title that he's gonna sign somewhere to be third fiddle

itt Daniel plays fantasy basketball

that team would be softer than roseanne, son

the best thing for the heat would be wade + bosh/stoudemire + brendan heywood/an actual center

yeah, i get that.

+ some solid defense and something resembling an NBA bench.

xp

i don't see the heat signing three huge free agents because i have no idea who in the nba would sign on to play that third man role

itt Daniel plays fantasy basketball

true. here's my wish-list for next year's heat: bird, malone, russell, magic, jordan. wade is first man off-the-bench.

i can see stoudemire and bosh co-existing, if one could play center.

uhm that team would get smoked pretty quick - your youngest starter is like 45

did i mention i want them all in their prime?

IT IS MY FANTASY TEAM, AFTER ALL

the only way i see the heat getting chris paul is if the hornets trade him at the deadline in 2011 and the team who gets him can't pay him/he doesn't want to stay there

or he could just leave the hornets after next year.

yeah but they'll unload him if they think he's not gonna stay

i guess. doesn't always happen that way, tho (e.g., bosh and/or stoudemire, if either leave this year).

stoudemire was almost traded like 8 separate times

but wasn't

and if they lose him in free-agency, the suns get nothing.

i guess they're playoff success this year is their payoff, if stoudemire leaves.

sorry -- "their"

well they clear his contract off the books for one, and they're willing to spend that money -- the hornets aren't in that same situation (just yet)

also i think it's important to emphasize that chris paul is better & more valuable than almost everyone we're talking about -- it's not really a 1:1 equation -- there are tons of questions about stoudemire's game/make-up that resulted in teams not making huge offers for him

we should have done whatever it took -- short of trading wade -- to get him.

the heat tried -- phx wasn't biting on beasley tho and the heat don't have anything to offer beyond that

if only the heat had taken russell westbrook or robin lopez instead

you mean brook lopez, right?

or jennifer lopez, even

yeah obv xp

http://www.localcelebrity.com/files/_system/Image/blog_images/pouroneout.jpghttp://www.mouthpiecesports.com/blogmedia/2009/12/vinny-300x225.jpghttp://www.localcelebrity.com/files/_system/Image/blog_images/pouroneout.jpg

A clause in Robinson’s contract calls for him to make a $1 million bonus if he both played in at least 58 games and made the playoffs this season. Robinson’s Celtics are in the postseason but he played in 56 games. As a result, the Celtics saved the $1 million they would have paid Robinson — equivalent to a quarter of his reported annual salary — and an additional $1 million they would have owed in luxury tax to the NBA (most of which would have been distributed to teams with payrolls below the luxury tax threshold).

http://kuchenplatte.com/de/media/bookmarks/mustard-owned.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwnpvD871Xw&feature=player_embedded

looooool

aw <3

#1 that's racist

so bosh scrubbed his twitter of the location "toranto," and replaced it with "everywhere."

a hit on the tiago splitter watch

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/chris_mannix/05/12/spurs/index.html
They also have a former first-round pick marinating overseas. Since the Spurs drafted Tiago Splitter in 2007, the 7-foot, 245-pound Brazilian has developed into the top center in Europe. International scouts praise Splitter's footwork and post moves and project him to be a pure back-to-the-basket center. Team sources say the Spurs will make a hard push to sign Splitter this summer. If they do, they would fill a void with the most skilled Duncan sidekick since David Robinson.

i feel i've been reading about this kid for ten years, he's a fixture in the july/august news drought after the draft and free agents along with minor signings and the '15 pounds of muscle' watch

the big problem b4, ii understand c, was that he was only eligible for rookie contracts the last few years and stood to make much more balling in spain, but now he's eligible for vet contracts, so the spurs will likely use their MLE to bring him aboard. i am excited 2 git him finally. i've seen his game to andy varejao but with more offensive polish.

also jacked that we have a no. 20 pick this year, could be a good bench next year yay

what is this tony parker to knicks thing i saw on tv today

guys i realized today that i could absolutely not root for lebron on the knicks -- and it seriously crushes me to say that, cuz i really love lebron -- but i couldn't ever align myself with entitled new york sports fans actually getting something that they want simply because they're in new york city

i could care less if he left cleveland tbh, just not to the knicks, i wouldn't be able to handle it

tony parker is not going to the knicks, ny fans are just hella deluded to think theyre getting anything more than boozer being injured for half of a 5 year max deal this offseason

i think ppl are like ok if the spurs were to make a major trade, it would involve parker because he has the most value (expiring deal, finals mvp in 07, ~eva~) but there are very few deals the spurs would consider with parker as the centerpiece. it's not like the spurs are deep at PG anyway (george hill is still a shooting guard so they would have)

4 chris paul

oops *so they would have to fill another hole

yeah, the two legit trade rumors in parker's career was jason kidd ca. 03 and chris paul ca. last year or so, it would need to be an all-star coming back (david lee doesnt count)

hornets trading paul would basically be saying "we have no intent of fielding a competitive team for the next 5-10 years and we doubt very much the validity of this team as a business"

that's what i was saying upthread -- it would effectively murder basketball in new orleans for the rest of the decade at minimum

anyway i don't think the spurs are going to make major changes. they may find a team that had loaded up on cap space and couldnt lure a free agent to be interested in an expiring richard jefferson (*~you may sayyyy i'm a dreamer~*)

somebody needs to get george shinn at gunpoint and force him to sell the hornets to somebody who likes basketball.

isn't that happening?

i could care less if he left cleveland tbh, just not to the knicks, i wouldn't be able to handle it

no-one outside of new york could handle it.

mama, there goes that coach http://assets.espn.go.com/i/nba/profiles/coaches/30075.jpg

not gonna be a good off season for bald headed black coaches

lol

man u aint kidding, this happened FAST

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5189101

whoa forgot he was coach of the year last year. thanks for devaluing the award for all who follow.

i am now voting for the GOP nominee -- no matter who it is -- against barack hussein obama II in the 2012 presidential election.

remember,barack hussein obama II: a victory in florida runs thru miami-wade county.

WTF

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are keeping coach Mike Brown -- for now.

Team owner Dan Gilbert refuted an SI.com report Friday that Brown had been fired.

"That's not true," he said during a news conference. "We are right now just going through the evaluation process."

i mean there's no way they aren't firing him

I don't get the Woodson firing. OK, to say the playoffs were less than stellar is putting it mildly -- almost upset by the Bucks in round 1, and swept by the Magic in embarassing fashion in round 2. But I mean is the second round any less further than they were supposed to get? Does anybody really believe that they have the talent RIGHT NOW to be better than the Magic/Celts/Cavs and he held them back?

I just wish coaching decisions weren't so kneejerk. Atlanta went from a laughingstock to a contender for the first time in years and despite winning more games every season, the coach gets rewarded with a firing. I hope the Hawks go 3-79 next year!

I mean at least with Brown there's an argument for firing -- he HAD a championship worthy team fall two rounds short this year, and one short last year!

you're a huge retard

did you watch any of the hawks games or

considering that they were playing a team in Orlando, yes I did. They played like shit but Orlando is also the hottest team in the league right now.

Besides, ugly or not, they still won in the first round. The Celts got taken to 7 by that shitty losing Hawks team a few years ago in the season they won the championship. It happens.

But this to me=Marty Schottenheimer firing. they underachieved for sure in that they not only didn't win a game, they lost in embarassing fashion, but...like did anybody expect them to win more than 1 game in the series, with how Orlando was playing? Who gives a fuck about the regular season series results, the idea that the Hawks series was going to be a series was always LOL worthy to me.

besides, underachieving in the playoffs > NOT BEING THERE AT ALL.

no

to defend how atlanta played in the playoffs is ridiculous -- news flash: making the playoffs in the eastern conference, doesn't really mean shit, since you barely even need to break .500

Pretty happy with the Norv Turner era in San Diego, fwiw.

yeah but you can get fired for both is the thing

xps

HOW COULD YOU FIRE VINNY DEL NEGRO HE LED THE BULLS TO A 41-41 RECORD AND A BIRTH IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

haha this all relates back to there being like 3 good nba coaches total

Speaking of that, the Royals just made Ned Yost their manager.

J0rdan you can't possibly be that stupid

hold on what

if you think vinny del negro is a good coach, don't type anything in your next post besides "vinny del negro is a good coach"

for one thing, nobody finished sub .500 in the East this year -- this mathematically was the East's best showing in years (which is still to say the West was better).

secondly, nowhere did I say that making the playoffs alone should guarantee job security. but c'mon the Hawks didn't have the talent yet to get past the second round, they finished where they were supposed to. As John Hollinger pointed out (http://espn.go.com/blog/TrueHoop/post/_/id/15923/woodsons-tenure-unusual-til-the-end), even though he disagrees with me on the actual merits of firing...I don't know that this Hawks team is going to return to the heights he hit anytime soon. Especially given that they're going to likely look for bargain value at the HC position.

I didn't say Vinny Del Negro was a good coach, cheesedick.

the real q this free agency season is where vdn will land as a coach iirc

Results 1 - 3 of 3 for "vinny del negro is a good coach" (0.23 seconds)

Vinny is going to go back to playing.

but c'mon the Hawks didn't have the talent yet to get past the second round

they had the talent to, idk, not lose every game by an average of 25 points?

you're acting like they lost a hard fought series to orlando where two games went into overtime

re: woodson, personality and connection mean more in nba-level ball than the system i think, and definitely more than other sports since it's so personal, they're literally physically in front of their guys and never more than 50 feet away, talking to them dozens of times a game. woodson did a good job dragging the hawks into contention but they had tuned him out, which makes sense as it used to be larry brown's specialty- dragging failed teams into a few playoff rounds.

basically hawks could have any coach go in there and lead them to mediocrity, why not switch it up a bit?

But this to me=Marty Schottenheimer firing. they underachieved for sure in that they not only didn't win a game, they lost in embarassing fashion, but...like did anybody expect them to win more than 1 game in the series, with how Orlando was playing? Who gives a fuck about the regular season series results, the idea that the Hawks series was going to be a series was always LOL worthy to me.

― Sherman Helmsley Teabag (Cattle Grind), Friday, May 14, 2010 6:22 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark

xpost to J0rdan

the problem here is that you keep re-posting your opinions as if they're valid after you defended mike woodson as a coach

i don't think you could find anyone outside of mike woodson's immediate family who thinks that he should return next year

in other news, i hear the sole key to paper planes success is that mia stole a clash sample.

xpost

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/6114/14126586656e24f5f9d8o.gif

you are defending mike woodson stfu

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb218/commentsjunkie/insultmix/insult25.gif

i get cg's point somewhat (he's not necessarily even defending woodson as i see it), but Aerosol is otm

an extra year of mike woodson was not going to do the hawks any favors

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/S-3ZXzqAt2I/AAAAAAAADE4/qE7wmo8Dgf4/s1600/Grimace.jpg

docfunk for president

omg

Hey guys Bo Jackson Overdrive is posting again.

what's his new name again?

Cattle Grind

ohhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhh

*thanks god*

ok so delonte west is fuckin lebron james mother?????

pardon me?

it's a tmz thing
but

In what is truly a disturbing story, comes exclusive Terez Owens news that LeBron’s teammate Delonte West is sleeping with LeBron’s Mother Gloria James..Yes, this is the purported story coming from my source in Cleveland..My source explains the following:

”My uncle is the general contractor at the Q and has been for the last 7 years. He’s good friends with a lot of guys at the Q, including some of the bigger boys in the organization and knows Dan Gilbert personally.My uncle has been told that Delonte has been banging Gloria James (Lebron’s Mom) for some time now. Somehow Lebron found out before game four and it destroyed their chemistry and divided the team. I am not making this up, I wish it wasn’t true but it happened. .”

With Delonte West’s checkered past, LeBron can be none too pleased with his teammate and good friend hanging with his Mother… The Cavs definitely looked like a different squad from game 4 on..especially LeBron…coincidence, or did this really just happen? Maybe this is the reason LeBron’s leaving Cleveland..-TO

oh my. will the source of this story be revealed as Jerry Reinsdorf or Pat Riley?

http://deadspin.com/5539388/ridiculous-rumors-started-by-internet-varmints-delonte-west-banged-lebrons-mom

this rumor . . . is most likely coming from a bunch of 4chanish wags preying on the vulnerability all those sad Cavs fans searching for answers right now

http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/ballhype/photos_large/2008/05/13/Gloria_James.jpg

post-game ritual.

yeah idk

have u seen delonte west

wtf @ defending mike woodson--do u not know how coaching works in the nba?

do you brush your teeth with cigarettes?

does anyone?

"I can’t shake the feeling that there is a bit of bias towards the Heat in the media, as if most people just don’t want it to happen for fear a partnership of Wade and James “wouldn’t work”. That’s like saying the Dream Team doesn’t work."

linked without comment. you all have thoroughly depressed me about the heat's prospects in the offseason.

draft lotto 2NITE

http://i44.tinypic.com/ejeznl.jpg

:B

this is the first time i've ever seen the exact tabs on pctgs for getting whatever picks...it's lol that the nets have a better chance of drawing 3/4 than 1/2

wall 2 nets?

more liek 75% chance wall 2 NOT the nets amirite

(i chkd my math i am rite)

lol if minnesota or sactown gets the first pick, they could use another pg

wd love to see minny play the smallest of ball

i read that lebron's personal assistant and bodyguards are overseeing the lottery tonight.

david stern shd do a commemorative 25th anniversary draft rigging for the knicks

it wd be a pretty breathtaking maneuver since they dont have a pick

Actually think Wall to the Kings would be great. Evans isn't really a PG imo.

DWill-Turner-AK47-Booker-FESENKO

I got wall to the sixers.

^^ :)

this is absurd just pop the balls imo

this is so goofy--danny granger in a white jacket makin jokes next to the humorless gm of the jazz

crazy russian billionaire in the house!!!

i already love this guy he's a fuckin cartoon

mark cuban: the next generation, so fuckin stoked on this dude.

lol aaron brooks hipster glasses

lol granny dainger

philly :) :)

woot sixers!

:oooo

fucking WIZARDS?

ugh

wall should refuse 2 play there

pretty awesome imo

philly, wash, nets would've all been cool imo

it's cool though I'm already beginning to fit in evan turner w/ this years sixers

jrue, evan t, thaddeus & speights could be a worse young core

loved all the awkward and deflated applause that happened when the nets got revealed at #3

yeah it's not a bad roster now I guess - we still need a big dog to assert his alpha male presence on the team, iguodala's good but he's more of a supporting player than a main one xp

docfunk Aaron Brooks owns a Kid Cudi CD
20 minutes ago via web

luv u so much docfunk

I wanna see a pic of aaron brooks's hipster glasses

also sad that im missing marko cubanski

quick guys lets start the lebron 2 the wizards to play with john wall with kevin mchale coaching rumors

i heard kevin mchale banged lebron's mom actually

wizards add another gun to their roster

man this is sad
http://deadspin.com/5542097/manute-bol-is-not-doing-well

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117688578270520&v=wall

:( manute bol is a standup guy

yay i have a reason to watch the wizards now

: )

haha isn't doc funk a wiz fan? he must be uncorkin the moet atm

oh man yah totally, congrats to docfunk!

is this the hidden hand of stern at play? wants people to be like "gilbert who?"

so isn't this kind of tricky for the wiz? their untradeable "superstar" and consensus no. 1 pick play the same position. what do they do?

trade gilbert.

Easier said than gun.

I mean done.

lol! there will be (many) suitors.

GUN LAWS AREN'T SO HARSH ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, WHERE WE STILL RESPECT THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

aw c'mon gilbert is a 2 guard

he played point out of necessity but he belongs off the ball

What a crappy lottery :( Oh well, good for Washington at least. Poor Minnesota always getting screwed :(

fuck the nba draft lottery

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0519/nba_g_draftlottery_576.jpg

haha just came 2 post that

fuck it

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0519/nba_g_draftlottery_576.jpg

aw c'mon gilbert is a 2 guard

― jonathan blapelbon (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, May 18, 2010 11:04 PM (Yesterday)

seriously it's ok you can call him a "shooting" guard, it's alright

but i agree, also how many rookies are ready for 35-40 min @ 82 games? draft experts act like depth/flexibility is this crazy problem. bring wall off the bench for 10-20 games, then start him at the point, gilbert plays the 2, slides over to 1/primary handler for a few minutes and crunch time if it's a close game.

and if someone makes a crazy good offer for gilbert (uhhh not happening) swap him and run away gleefully

"shooting" guard for the "bullets"

magic shd offer rashard lewis for gilly

gil and vince team of destiny

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/images/05/19/jayz-prokhorov.jpg

new weird exhibit at the wax museum

"last supper 2010 (ft. beyonce and kid cudi)"

"no srsly, can u play 4 us? we heard u retired from the rap game is all"

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/S_R5-xLBgcI/AAAAAAAADWA/mnrHkiMtZI8/s1600/Leonsis.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/S_R5tCWC42I/AAAAAAAADUw/WLRuRjGwog8/s1600/04.jpg

THERE IS NO NEED FOR FURTHER SPECULATION LEBRON JAMES IS A BIG COWBOYS FAN AND MARK CUBAN WANTS JAMES TO SIGN WITH THE MAVS AND HE WILL GET WHAT HE WANTS

damn, yankees fan and cowboys fan, proly wants to go to the lakers to complete the big 3 douche team trifecta

i'll eat a ten gallon hat if elbron goes 2 tha mavs

i wanna see a cuban vs prokhorov cage match

^ how long before these two build iron man suits and go at it in the skies

hm:

Investing 101: Taking Stoudemire to the limit

by: Ira Winderman May 20th, 2010 | 7:20 PM

Based on the Heat’s very real fullcourt press for Amare Stoudemire at the trading deadline, it is safe to assume that through some sort of back channel, Pat Riley had made it clear he would have been willing to max-out the Suns forward this summer.

The assumption is Riley and Micky Arison still would be willing to make such a move, to extend a $96.1 million five-year offer to the 27-year-old scorer at the start of free agency.

Impending free agent Amare Stoudemire has been something short of elite in the Western Conference finals. But then you look at the numbers and at Stoudemire’s play at the start of these Western Conference finals and you wonder if perhaps the Heat was saved from itself in February.
Through the first two games against the Lakers Stoudemire has nine total rebounds. No, he is not averaging nine, he has nine combined.

Even in the last two games against the Spurs in the previous round, there were 13 total rebounds.
Also, there has not exactly been a parade to the foul line. In his 12 games this postseason, Stoudemire has had five with six or fewer free throws.

And he certainly is not being signed for his defense.

Nice player? No doubt.
Max player? No way.

Think about it: If Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are max players (throw Kevin Durant in there if you wish), can you honestly place Amare in that group?
Of course this summer, that won’t matter, when NBA teams make it rain with cap cash.

But let TNT’s studio crew get us back to reality.

Charles Barkley: “I don’t like doing this but I’ve got to call out Amare Stoudemire. He’s got to play better. He’s got to rebound and you can’t be calling guys out if you’re not going to play better. Kenny, what’s my favorite saying? What do you call a power rebounder who gets six rebounds?”
Kenny Smith: “A small forward.”
Barkley: “That’s exactly right.”

And what will you call Stoudemire in the fifth year of the contract he will receive this summer?

Cap-clogging and overpaid.

Yet it appears such is the price of doing business this summer. Meaning in 2014-15 there will be plenty of Jermaine O’Neals walking around, with followers wondering where all these astronomical salaries came from.

I feel like we should create a subthread just for you to talk about miami's offseason deals ;)

it's all i have left, nba-wise.

WAIT, NO! i'd be thrilled if the celtics beat the lakers; relieved if the magic beat the lakers; and suffer a shock-induced heart attack if the suns beat the lakers.

but see, here's the thing: i envision the lakers repeating.

ugh, phoohy. i hate even saying it.

otm screw the celtics

wingspannage

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?year=2010&sort2=DESC&draft=&pos=&sort=5

didn't realize so many birds were entering the draft

mama, there goes that birdman

sortable by body fat! good find amon

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/luke_winn/12/15/dexter.pittman/dexter-pittman.jpg

dirk opting out

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5210625

dirk + lebron

dirk + lebron + bosh + wade + chris paul, next year's starting 5 for the bulls.

and they will still have enough space under the cap to sign joe johnson as their sixth man.

haha u jest but goddamn dirk and lebron on the chi bulls = title winners for 100 years

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/05/21/war-games-2010-nba-free-agency/

Dirk opting out is kind of a huge deal right? If Dirk is your #2 option you are going to win 60+ games and one (1) 2011 conference finals berth.

the mavs don't seem to think it is

Is it some 2011 thing where he wants a 3/4-year max quick before the CBA comes in?

ya prolly

also i think he realizes he will never win a title in dallas and being the best #2 guy in the league would get him a ring someplace

Is it some 2011 thing where he wants a 3/4-year max quick before the CBA comes in?

you mean the Continental Basketball Ass'n?

nowitzki would be a big star in that league, yes.

Cuban likewise could not be reached but insisted in a recent radio interview with KTCK-AM in Dallas he believes Nowitzki isn't "going anywhere."

:3

WTF? president obama again said that lebron would fit nicely with the bulls?

comm'r david stern, please heavily fine president barack obama for meddling in free agency.

WHY YOU HATE THE MIAMI HEAT, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA?

brown out

Im not too familiar with nba free agency, but these seems retarded to me:

While the Knicks will target LeBron James first, they are no less interested in Dwyane Wade, a source tells ESPN's Chad Ford.

According to the source, the Knicks' Plan A is to pair James and Chris Bosh. Plan B is Wade and Bosh. Plan C is James and Wade and Plan D is to pair James or Wade with Dirk Nowitzki. The Knicks are treating this summer like a fantasy draft. While LeBron is the most talked about free agent, Wade's decision will likely have the biggest domino effect.

What about plan e: a pony?

this is a good t-wolves blog (if one cares abt such things)

good post on demarcus cousins:

http://www.awolfamongwolves.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7OYLWHtCDk&feature=player_embedded

I bet prokorov was playing wave race 64 one day and was like 'this game is sick, I wanna do this' and then he put in a call and the next day he was in the maldives, playing wave race 64 irl

this guy is beyond the best

oh, z-bo-paws

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/23686810/detail.html

"He is not in any way whatsoever involved in any kind of drug ring," Tompkins said. "He's beside himself, because he has made a concerted effort to get a better image."

I have made a concerted effort to believe that statement.

he is beside himself, and his self is selling a fuckton of pot

lol. reminds me of

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4163416

"When the circumstances turned against me, I lost my enthusiasm for this city," Turkoglu said in the interview. "My lawyers have talked to the front office recently. Honestly, I do not want to go back to Toronto. My lawyers talked to Mr. Colangelo and I hope that they will come up with a solution soon."

...

Turkoglu, who signed a five-year deal with the Raptors last offseason, is owed $43.8 million over the next four years.

hedlol turkolol

i'm sure the raptors wouldn't mind finding a trading partner.....

Player                     2010-11
Rashard Lewis	$20,514,000	 
Vince Carter	        $17,300,000	
Dwight Howard	$15,779,912

fuck formatting but you get the idea

btw rashard will make 24 million in 2012-13

lol

turkoglu & love affair

re: the whole discussion up thread about whether players care about playing for pat riley

A friend of Erik Spoelstra's said the Heat coaching staff was caught off guard by Pat Riley's comments that he might coach again, more so because Dwyane Wade loves playing for Spoelstra and isn't pushing for Riley. Wade told The New York Post although the Heat won a championship with Riley, it also won 15 games under him ``so it all depends on what year it is.''

Riley is a good coach, but I'll be damned if I would call him one of the NBA's greatest coaches, no matter what his numbers show.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/TAR8iiQW9NI/AAAAAAAAD1s/OwoB36_7Fgg/s400/11.jpg

YAY THIS IS THE SECOND BEST OPTION FOR MIAMI SO I HIGHLY ENDORSE IT PLEASE CONCLUDE YOUR FREE-AGENCY FLIRTATIONS ASAP LEBRON RAYMONE JAMES

i was playing that free agent slot machine thing on espn today and my first go landed Lebron, Wade and Stoudemire in Miami. every subsequent try put Wade somewhere else and y'all getting Boozer.

yes but your no. 1 "go" landed lebron, wade and soudemire IN MIAMI

lol @ david lee making the slot machine

i heard joe johnson texted him and told him the summit is in davos

LBJ sayin cleveland is at the top of his list is going to braek cleve harts even harder when he leaves

iirc, LBJ said Cleveland was "comfortable". Not quite the rining endorsement you'd want to hear.

i thought he said cleveland had the edge to resign him (maybe because he's comfortable there?).

lbj will sign with the clippers, i can feel it.

So, you think he'll follow the Baron down the rabbit hole? An astonishing thought! Or are you trolling for lols there and I am too literal minded to catch on?

i am trolling for lols there and you are too literal minded to catch on.

(just kidding with you. :) i do think the notion of lebron to the clippers is funny.)

Kinda agree with this article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebronshow060210

Yeah, King James has been treated like royalty since he was maybe 12 years old.

i don't think it's lebron's fault that free agency (not just his btw) is "overshadowing" the nba finals -- i think that's the nba's problem, or the sport of basketball's problem -- it's demand -- lebron & free agency is a bigger story than this wheezing ass finals match up because more people care about it

He didn't have to go on Larry King about it.

Also how is this a wheezing ass finals match up.

funny how Lebron's starting to turn into a polarizing figure. seems like it's just happening this season w/ the Noah beef and playoffs and maybe a little into last season when he didn't shake hands after the Magic beatdown. he coasted along for years there when he was just this pleasant dude/great baller. now you either love him or hate him.

if forced 2 choose, i choose h8

i was on the fence, but switched to h8 after hearing him refer to "his team" getting together and decide his future. esp right after his actual basketball team had just laid a huge turd.

At least they didn't air the interview in a little window during game 7 of the finals, like when Joe Buck parroted Scot Boras' announcement that A-Rod was going to be a free agent during the world series.

Rumor is that the Warriors might trade Anthony Randolph to the Wolves, possibly for Kevin Love?

would actually really love to see klove on the dubs! ~outlet passing~

Young Mr. Love does have outstanding outlet pass skills, presuming there is someone uncovered down court to pass to. The Warriors might supply him with some targets in this respect.

holy shit i thought phil would do the trolling david stern is lettin em have it

“They can have it,” he said. “I was wondering whether they would get together, eight players and they’ll all look at D-Wade’s ring? They’d be better off watching these finals to see how you construct a team and how you play and the like. There’s not going to be a summit.”

holy shit that is maybe the coldest thing I have ever read

haha from the same article

Stern did have to do rule enforcing, confirming the league had told Lakers coach Phil Jackson to stop rewarding players with $50 for taking charges.

some good pop psychology there phil

wau, stern otm

hahahaha when stern is cold dissing his best players, its a great league

whoa danny ferry just resigned

smart move

dude cold sucked as a GM

this is pretty much a sign that cleveland's management has thrown in the towel wrt singing lebron, yeah?

or they're totally revamping because ferry wasn't going to get it done?

yeah I don't know who this chris grant is but maybe he'll be effective. I've just always felt that danny ferry was a guy who was committed to bringing dudes to cleveland for lebron, even if it didn't really work out. so it's weird to see somebody who was so devoted to pleasing lebron drop out so close to july 1st.

just seems something weird to do, like if you're lebron would you really take a chance w/ an untested GM...

if u were lebron, would us stick it out with an ineffective gm?

if I were lebron I would probably not be posting on ilx, would probably be enjoying some expensive sushi right now, even though I'm not hungry

but then u would get fat from eating 2 much!!!! and then NYK wd be like OMG did u get fat???? here's THE FRANCHISE i hope u like it :D

if I were lebron I would probably not be posting on ilx, would probably be enjoying some expensive sushi right now, even though I'm not hungry

until banned, lebron james posted on ilx all day long as cattle grind.

and david stern posted as cankles.

gotdamn david stern is just one cold mofo

otm like a laser though, basically told u free agents a)stop distracting from the finals and b)dont u even think about violating our bargaining agreements and/or laws for i am a baaaaad man

more lbj bashing: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/06/04/dear-lebron-james-i-take-it-all-back/

"...either he's on another planet -- the modern-day Wilt for sure -- or really does think of basketball as secondary to himself as a corporate entity."

Why can't it be a healthy dollop of both at once?

So um Thi to Bulls makes that a more attractive destination?

no way.

thib isn't really a proven coach, yeah?

he's a proven asst coach fwiw

but yeah that doesnt help their lebron pursuit

he's certainly no greg popovich ;)

I mean gregg, gregg with 3 g's, sorry gregg

snoop g-r-e double g

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt148/m4_k2/293-gregg-popovich-thumbs-up.png

cavs make offer to tom izzo??

"Coming Soon? WE'LL FIND OUT JULY 1"

easily the best option for both players imo

What do they need em for. They never lose.

dare to dream:

LeBron James will be a member of the Miami Heat in 2010-11.

At first glance, the above statement seems a bit strong.

However, it seems probable since the hiring of Tom Thibodeau nullifies the potential return of Phil Jackson to Chicago—in which case I would have expected James and Dwyane Wade to join the Bulls to become the modern day Jordan and Pippen duo in the Windy City.

But back to the Heat.

Miami has several key advantages in the battle for the King's services going forward.

Most notably, they had Dwayne Wade on their roster for more than the last three seasons, meaning they retain "Bird Rights" on him. So assuming the Heat ownership is willing to do whatever it takes to build a dynasty including paying a hefty luxury tax bill, they have the ability to sign both James and Wade to a max deal.

The Heat also has a coach to rival Jackson waiting in the wings in Pat Riley—a man who has publicly stated he is willing to return to the bench as coach of the Heat if LeBron wants.

Riley is highly respected league-wide as the Hall of Fame coach he is. LeBron needs to play for a coach that is on his level after being enduring five years of Mike Brown.

Sitting $23.9 million beneath the projected 2010-11 salary cap, the Heat are in good position to make a serious run at not only James, but maybe even a power forward like Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, or Amar'e Stoudemire.

They would have to work out a sign-and-trade because the first year number for a max deal to James, Boozer, and Bosh would be $16.83 million. Stoudemire would get $17.19 million because he made more in 2009 than the other three.

So, the number for two of the four would be $33.66 million in the first year or $34.02 million if Stoudemire was one of them. This means that the Heat would have to shed either $8.26 million or $8.62 million in a sign-and-trade to make it work. Or it could convince one or both to take less than $16.83 million at say, $15 or $16 million a year.

However, the only Heat player that might be attractive to the Raptors, Jazz or Cavs is 6-10 forward Michael Beasley.

Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 Draft, has yet to live up his lofty expectations. Still, he did average 13.9 points his rookie season and improved to 14.8 in his second season in the league. He also increased his rebound number from 5.4 to 6.4 in 2009. So his potential should be attractive to a team trying to rebuild after losing its best player in free agency.

It's also possible the Heat could resign Jermaine O'Neal in order to trade him.

Although he is a shell of his All-Star self, he still averaged around 13 points and six rebounds a game over the past two seasons in Miami. He is versatile enough to play center or power forward, which could make him attractive to other teams.

The other advantages the Heat has over the rest of the league have nothing to do with basketball.

First, the weather in Miami is gorgeous year round, a bonus that should not be overlooked.

Second, the state of Florida does not collect income tax, meaning the players would stand to actually receive more of the money they sign for in Miami than they would if they were to sign with another team.

Third, Miami is a big, metropolitan city that would enable a player like James to advance his aspirations of becoming an international brand-name, a la Michael Jordan.

So due mainly to the "Bird Rights" it holds on Dwayne Wade and an abundance of cap space, the Miami Heat is the clear front runner in the LeBron James sweepstakes.

This position also makes it a favorite to land a Boozer, Bosh, or Stoudemire as well, particularly if they will take less money.

A scenario in which the Heat end up with Wade, James, and one of that trio of big men Bosh, Stoudemire or Boozer would likely be enough to start a dynasty in Miami under Riley's reins.

And if Wade stays in Miami and the Heat add some top tier talent, there will be a clear favorite for the 2010-11 NBA Championship

Pop, in his exit interview, said he’d wash the twins’ dirty diapers. A reporter bravely let him know that cloth diapers were no longer the norm, to which Pop replied:

Oh yeah, that’s right. That’s right… Well, that’s just wrong! That’s just wrong. And all those — they can’t be recycled or anything?? Geez oh whiz. I’m gonna talk to Manu about going green and going back to cloth diapers.
I want Pop to be my father-in-law.

Kerr out as Suns GM.. Seems kind of dumb of them to let him go.

it looks like he's leaving on his own accord?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5289933

By unanimous vote, Miami-Dade County commissioners declared Tuesday that the area would be known as "Miami-Wade County" from July 1-7, a week that coincides with the start of NBA free agency.

they actually have done that from time to time

not officially like that maybe, but during the season if you drive on I-95 north towards s beach they have WADE COUNTY plastered on a billboard & in my suburb where a lot of the players live (incl wade before he sold his house in the divorce i think) they had wade county signs hanging from all the streetlights

it's pretty fun

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5297829

dalembert to kings
spencer haw-hawes and nocioni to sixers

spencer hawes is an underrated young center imo, nocioni is meh, sad to see the dalembeast go though

ready 4 this thread 2 b buzzin

just a week until the draft, huh?

yup

guess its time to take celtics stock in this thread now. sounds like sheed might be retiring? might not be a bad idea but i cant see him turning down 7 mil to fatten up the bench a little more and play hard in a dozen playoff games.

i will lol so hard if they signed sheed to a 3-year deal knowing he wanted to retire

nice use of "fatten" btw

heh deliberate, he's got almost 10 months to un-play himself out of shape before the 2011 playoffs if he wants it

this is where to get philosophical, like we had to do with horry way back when, and fisher now; a playoff performer is a playoff performer it's all about whether you need every hand on deck just to get seeding. that depends on doc more than anything atm imo.

*spits* most intriguing rumours for us: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/408463-nba-rumors-2010-nba-champion-lakers-seeking-to-upgrade-roster

ridnour would be an excellent pickup imo, as much of a gamer as farmar with size to body up pgs w/o sacrificing speed, on paper. kyle korver = caffeinated radmonovic imo but i don't see his shot leaving him like vlad's did. similarly bad defense for his size from what i've seen, i don't know. kurt thomas man c'mon

mike miller could thrive actually, wishful thinking has him replacing some of luke's playmaking if he can't stay healthy/gets shipped for some reason

aside from being poorly-written and rank speculation, this article suggests the intriguing but odd combination of wade, bosh and stoudemire in miami.

or maybe bosh to cavs via sign-and-trade?

bah. all this talk is useless.

Portland seems to be writing itself entirely out of the picture because the flunkies who surround Paul Allen (aka Vulcan Management, Inc.) have persuaded him to fire our talented GM, Kevin Pritchard. Whoever replaces him will be handcuffed and hamstrung in the Great Free Agent Race of 2010, even if he's a magnificent GM.

Much more likely is we'll get a new GM who is a 24th degree black belt at office politics, but mediocre or worse at running a winning franchise. Then we'll keep him for 10 years, until he's the last person jettisoned from the wreckage.

it's occurring to me now that the blazers' window for growing into contenders is closing. just seems like roy needs at least one more all-star to make that an elite team (and a healthy frontcourt).

fantasy okc gm m bison would package westbrook and green and/or harden for cp3.

wtf someone in orlando was seriously considering the possibility that dwayne wade would play for the magic next year?

wade basically saying "i'm staying" is cue to me that he is the chessmaster and lebron is playing checkers hoops businesswise. wade is trying to orchestrate some shit 4 real.

^truth bomb, i think wade is basically calling players behind the scenes and probably doing everything short of sign-and-trading beasley himself. meanwhile bron is pulling an a-rod/scott boras with larry king and making sure maverick carter and worldwide wes have extra phone batteries for july 7th

meaning, basically waiting for the max contract offers to roll in and imagining everyone will want to come play with him. which frankly probably most dudes do but if i was, say, a 3-shooting guard or a backup point or a posey/ariza type swingman i'd be calling boston and la to see if i can punch a ticket to the finals instead

autolol, i think i am just tired of bronwatch2010 already

farmar+ to houston for ariza
they get an all-speedbug backcourt we get two championships in the same year iirc

The Milwaukee Bucks just agreed to send center Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell to the Warriors for Corey Maggette.

interesting -- obv a top move by the warriors to get rid of the player and the salary -- could actually be a boon for the bucks if they can somehow rework his brain wires to become a complementary player... cuz obv he would be great in the third role behind jennings/bogut if he understood his "role"

probably as high profile a move the bucks could make, like it for both sides

I've actually heard maggette has cleaned up his act/become a more mature player

still though any excuse to post this again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_ljDfevB0

maggette actually fit pretty well with chris kaman, so given that bogut is actually better and a better passer, seems like a good fit and decent trade on both sides. shocker!

assume that means salmons will be free to walk though?

Well he already was iirc

autolol, i think i am just tired of bronwatch2010 already

yeah. here's the speculation i've seen just today (in the early morning hours) on free-agency:

• bosh to cavs via sign-and-trade
• bosh to lakers via sign-and-trade
• bosh to knicks via sign-and-trade on the eve of the draft
• lebron to whatever team trades for chris paul
• lebron to lakers via sign-and-trade
• lebron and bosh to heat, with wade re-signing
• lebron and bosh's chances of going to the bulls are growing dim
• lebron and bosh's chances of going to the bulls are stronger then ever

chris paul to the magic?

nothing makes any sense.

apparently nawlins can't really afford to pay his contract anymore? they have a great pg in collison.

meanwhile the bucks doing big thangs, picking chris douglas-roberts off the jersey scrap heap for nothin'

Imma wait for July 1 before I believe anything written about who's going where.

No no, believe me: Bron, Bosh, Paul and Wade sign with Miami.

I have a very good feeling about this.

daniel, insider

insider of insiders

jalen rose -- a close friend of lebron -- says cavs out, and it's bulls or heat:

Clips are a longshot...its Bulls or Heat as of 2day.

earlier "tweet":

as of 2day the Bulls have the best chance of landing LBJ...Miami would need to make more roster moves...Clips have a punchers chance!

jalen rose, noted journalist

at this point, anyone can say anything they want about lebron as long as they have "sources"

my sources tell me that lebron is going to fill the browns' gaping hole at tight end! sources! my sources tell me that lebron is considering the atlanta hawks! sources! my sources tell me that lebron is going to retire from basketball and do a duets album with jay-z! sources! sources! i've got sources! we all have sources!

you don't need to rely on jalen rose. i have said that lebron james will be a heat. rest easy, heat fan.

name your sources, j0rdan s.

i'm not a heat fan

heretic.

and so it goes

WojYahooNBA

The Heat has agreed in principle to trade Daequan Cook and 18th pick in Thursday's draft to Thunder for 32nd pick, a league source tells Y!

btw i will say that if lebron actually does sign with the heat, i'm on the bandwagon in first class with my feet up drinking champagne and inquiring about pillow availability

as you should.

seriously, all of this for the heat will require (a)luck and (b) trading beasley. i just think -- if he wants to win -- lebron and wade are, by far, the best combination.

(b) trading beasley

If other GMs think as you do, wouldn't that give them big incentive not to acquire beasley? Why would any GM want to see LBJ in Miami with Wade? Just sayin.

if they think he has value -- especially if, as some do, they think miami isn't a good fit for him -- someone may take beasley.

he has a lot of offensive talent. he's really not a good fit for the heat. a reader sent a long post to the sun sentinel, which was reprinted today, arguing that the heat haven't managed beasley well, and that he would prosper elsewhere. the sun sentinel's heat writer (ira winderman) kind of agreed.

Understood. But, if in making your own team somewhat better you create a Frankenstein's monster of a team that will stomp on your team's lifeless carcass whenever they play, what's the benefit?

mo williams on twitter:

Pls don't trade me, I'm not ready to go. I'm begging. My work ain't done yet. I'm on both knees....pls. I'm serious

for heat, the space-race has officially begun.

that mo williams tweet is DEPRESSING

yeah, it is. i felt badly for him. and i like the cavaliers, generally.

From wikipedia: "In 1970 the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts..."

When the Blazers and I were young together, the Cavs were the number one enemy. We could actually beat them, an important consideration in 1970! Then the teams went their seperate ways, up and down. The LeBron era never felt right. Thank god the Clippers still suck ass. If that ever changes, I will instantly be thrust into dementia.

bulls also trying to dump their draft pick to clear space.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/speculation-about-where-lebron-will-play-could-end,17634/

MSNBC:

The Knicks are said to be making plans to host an elaborate meal and meeting with LeBron James in Manhattan on July 1.

The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host LeBron and his entourage for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef in hopes of convincing him to sign. However, with all the money Miami is clearing, a Heat team featuring LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is looking more and more likely with every passing minute.

I truly fear for your sanity if the Heat have a disappointing summer free-agency wise.

i truly fear for my sanity regardless.

when does this thing start up on tv?

JULY 1. espn is devoting a full channel to covering the lebron free-agency meetings.

more cap space being cleared:

Jones has $15.5 remaining on his deal through 2012-13, but those final three seasons are only partially guaranteed if he's waived by June 30. Waiving Jones would knock another $2.8 million off the Heat's salary cap for next season, giving them roughly $27 million to spend on free agents. They're also trying to trade Michael Beasley, while Joel Anthony did them a favor and opted out of his contract today. The Heat are setting themselves up for a possible dream team of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

granny, i'll be okay if it's a disappointing off-season for the heat. i'll be sad, but i'll be fine.

i'll say this, tho. if we strike out (and by that i mean if wade leaves and no top-shelf star comes), i'd rather us just have a crappy season and retain all our cap space, instead of getting servicable but overplayed players now. the heat are an amazing organization, and we'll draw big names at some point soon, even if it isn't now.

I feel the same about my Bulls. I don't want them to feel like they HAVE to do something, and plop down $$$$$$ on, like, Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer.

from the current chatter, it feels like the heat and the bulls are the two teams poised to dominate the league.

honestly, if the heat has an advantage, it's that chicago's young core could work against it. that young core takes up some cap space, and if the heat make the few moves they're hoping to make, they'll only have one player under contract (for 850K).

besides you have six titles and we only have one.

share a little.

What are the odds of these teams crazy schemes blowing up in their faces and they end up with Hedo, Carlos Boozer and a bunch of scrubs

pretty high, actually.

But it took the Bulls 23 years to win one title. Heat have only been around since, when, '88?

i mean, for all the talk of this year's free-agent market, there are only really three earth-shattering stars. amare s. is a very slight step down (partly due to past injuries, partly due to age, partly due to a lack of interest in playing defense). joe johnson is yet another step down. nowitski isn't leaving dallas. others are v. good, but older and/or not dominant players.

(xp)

yeah, around 88. but we didn't even have an nba franchise before that!

I just hope a)Bulls get either Bosh or James or lol both and b)Wade gets some help. Cause he's my dude and that'd be said to see him waste any more of his prime years on a team with no title shot.

i say only two Big Time Stars -- lbj and wade. to me bosh, like amare, is a slight step down -- he's like a Pau+

i think bosh rounds out a Big Three free-agent class. it's true, he isn't lebron or wade. but as great as they are, those two can't win on their own, and bosh is likely to end up with one of them, so he's a pivitol player now.

anyway, i really think the heat -- and only the heat -- will be in a position to sign a Big Three, e.g., bron/wade/bosh; bron/wade/amare. not sure they'll be able to do so, but i totally admire pat riley for his ambition and vision and smarts.

bron/bosh/rose v. wade/amare/joe johnson would be a hell of an eastern conference finals.

bron/bosh/wade v. any other team . . . wow.

blazers fire kevin pritchard

;_; ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_;

w/a bron/bosh/wade team, all that $ w/just 3 players...wouldn't they have to always be trying to regain the lead after their bench gets completely outplayed by every other team's bench?

so how do ya'll feel CP3 being on the trading block will shake things up

MAYBE WADE WILL BE WILLING TO COME OFF THE BENCH HO HO HO

YES MAYBE DWYANE WADE WILL BE WILLING TO COME OFF THE BENCH FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM

i don't think paul is on the trading block anymore. maybe i read a stale story tho.

Rasheed Wallace has retired

more chalk, as Cousins goes to the Kings.

Here's the first pick no one seems sure about in Golden State.

my SOURCES tell me Orlando's gunning hard for Paul. these guys say Vince and Jameer for Paul and Okafor.

the thing that doesn't make sense about that trade is that they'd still have to pay vince carter $18 million dollars next year before they can decline his option, so why just not keep chris paul for one more year and see what happens

right. also, the new owner has lots of money, which i thought is why they stopped shopping paul around. but paul on orlando would make them pretty damn good.

all the teams talking about major improvements this offseason are in the eastern conference. there could be some monster teams from the east over the next few years.

I'm thinking about throwing my hat in the ring for this blazers GM job, what do you guys think?

My first move would be courting docfunk as director of player personnel.

this is horrible. we have to trade michael beasley for nothing in return, WE HAVE TO.

clay, as the new GM of the trailblazers, please accept michael beasley in a trade for travis diener.

Much as Clay would love to accept your offer, salary restrictions forbid such a deal. However, Clay would consider a sign-and-trade deal for Beasley, where he first renogotiates Travis Diener's contract to something more in line with Michael's, but slated to expire before the end of August.

no no no!

daniel, I would be willing to offer diener in a sign & trade, but you'll have to take back przybilla's contract. In exchange I ask that you ship LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to Portland. Can you get them all to sign for equivalent salary?

Good luck with Travis, he's a truly tremendous talent.
Clay, General Manager.

you are totally unfit to be the portland GM. i haven't even signed lebron james and chris bosh yet. you will have to wait before i can consider, much less agree, to such a trade.

it's an intriguing trade idea, tho. i'll keep your number right next to my rotary-dial phone.

apparently perks tore his ACL too in addition to the MCL/PCL. the east is wide wide open next year.

gonna be locked-down soon, i believe.

is this commentator serious?

Miami Heat: It has not been a great week for the Heat. First, the Chicago Bulls managed to dump off Kirk Hinrich's contract, meaning they can now offer nearly two-max free agents, the same as the Heat. Then this news, which devastates the Heat's chances. Let's face it, the Heat are clinging to two things. 1. If James comes to Miami, Dwyane Wade will re-sign. And that's still a very good pitch. And 2. the weather. That's it. The team is in complete ruins, having dumped off everyone to make room for free agents, except there's no guarantee of there being anything to surround the two big fish. Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley are literally the remaining core. And when you shape that up against the other teams vying for James? Only the Knicks are in worst shape. When the Clippers can show they have a roster closer to a championship than you do? You need the weather. And oh, was the weather a big deal. Throw in the friendly tax laws, which James will be reading on some sort of PowerPoint presentation instead of seeing in action, and the Heat are still one of the top bidders, but this is not good news for them.

seems like the bulls are in the strongest position to sign lebron, but this article is absurd

They can walk into the meeting and say "If you want your best chance over the next ten years to win a championship, you'll choose Chicago. Thanks for your time." and walk out. Okay, they won't actually do that. But they could. With Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose as the core assets, the Bulls can focus on basketball with James, and that is a huge leg up for them. Chicago itself has a global reputation that precedes it. The Bulls can use that as an advance and then focus on the team and it's two-max-free-agent cap space.

also absurd. lebron james is a smart fellow, and he's been to miami -- and chicago. he knows the weather is good here and bad there. pat riley, a legendary nba coach, can walk into the meeting and say, "only with miami can you pair with wade and another max free agent, or someone close." that's a dynasty-in-waiting, much more so than chicago (in my book).

tho with lebron and bosh and rose, chicago may well become a dynasty.

As a variety of so-called Dream Teams have proved over the past decade or two, it takes more than an assorted bunch of all-stars to build a championship team, let alone a dynasty. You need a set of tightly interlocking parts that function smoothly with a minimum of friction. Even Kobe has started to appreciate this fact.

"only with miami can you pair with wade and another max free agent, or someone close.

...and a bunch of former 2nd round picks scooped up from the d league plus some washed up 34 yr olds.

aside from rose, i don't see what's so appealing about chicago's current team. wade was surrounded by scrubs this year, and they won 47 games. replace two of those scrubs with lebron james and chris bosh, and add a complimentary piece, and i think they'd do very -- very -- well.

Has anyone discovered what Nike's position is concerning which free agents go to which teams? Seems to me the whole picture would unfold like a roadmap if we knew that.

xpost

noah is a str8 playoff baller, and they have some good young pieces on that team. rose can be a distributor with bron and/or bosh.

occurred to me that chicago would not need to get 3 max players to be odds on favs next year. mebbe bron/bosh plus ray ray at the 2. rose-allen-bron-bosh-noah would be the sickest starting 5.

this seems far more sensible to me:

So this is what we’re left with, debating the set up of free agency instead of how free-agency sets up?

These, indeed, are strange times.

But since it now appears that LeBron James not only will not take a free-agent tour, but rather will summon invited guests for presentations, it does change the playing field.

LeBron James: The King is about to hold court.

For the Heat, it could be a net gain.

No, not necessarily in regard to its odds of landing the Cavaliers forward, but rather of expediting the process.
If LeBron does not have to spend days visiting New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles, it likely means a decision will come sooner.

For the Heat, with salary-cap space to not only re-sign Dwyane Wade but also add two more quality free agents, that means less time stringing other options along.

Instead of getting back to Joe Johnson or Rudy Gay or other leading fallback options in a week, it could be only a matter of days or even hours before Plan B can be executed.

And it also means there will be no dog-and-pony shows, that Pat Riley will not have to demean himself by joining Burnie on the tarmac at MIA. (Pat’s the one without the feather boa.)

Rather, if it comes down to face time, who offers a more compelling presence than Riley?

Gar Foreman?
Donnie Walsh?
Donald T. Sterling?
Russian Billionaire Dude?

OK, the Nets new owner does seem to have it all going on, especially with Jay Z at his side.

But Pat Riley has a way of pushing the product. Heck, I could have sworn Earl Barron was headed to Springfield.

The cancellation of the LeBron tour works in the Heat’s favor, in terms of both face time and the timing of the process.

rose-allen-bron-bosh-noah would be the sickest starting 5.

this is exactly the dream lineup i have in mind. deng (assuming he's not dealt) and taj, plus maybe james johnson if his game takes a few steps forward, would be one hell of an 8 man rotation.

but even rose-joe johnson-bron-boozer-noah would be a force. HUGE at 1-3, too, fwiw.

i doubt the bulls can get lebron james, chris bosh and joe johnson. say they end up with james and johnson, leaving their "big three" as LJ, CB and DR. so compare that team with this hypothetical "Big Three": wade -- bosh -- amare.

hell of a series, assuming all are healthy. anyway, it's all speculation until the clippers sign lebron and bosh.

you're just making things up now

lol.

wait, i can do much better than that: wade, lebron, larry bird and magic jordan (circa 1983), bill russell (circa 1966).

btw, j0rdan, the heat could sign both both and amare. we can get two max-cap players, just like the bulls. i doubt that combination will be the one we get, but it's possible.

daniel's gonna spend the entire first week of july just hitting refresh every 30 seconds on espn.com. i feel for you man.

well i know, but "what if the bulls get lebron and joe johnson" makes utterly no sense to me

yeah, i think you're right, except that johnson's rumored to be desperate to sign with the bulls?

not every :30, moreno.

if bulls trade deng, they could get lebosh and johnson afaik. unlikely, but no more so than a miami Huge 3.

i mean, i'm desperate to sign with the bulls too if you put it that way

to moreno: i am fascinated by the process. i'm also intrigued by the possible east next year, which could be scary (e.g., bulls, heat, magic and celtics all having dominant-type teams).

jordan, you mean makes no sense as in not possible or not logical basketball-wise?

no, i'm totally supportive of it. yall have got a lot on the line. unfortunately i'll be hitting refresh every :30 to see if the hawks give 30 yr old joe johnson 119 mil for 6 yrs. wishing i was in your boat.

we are a blank canvas, waiting to be painted.

not that anybody gives a shit but i think the hawks have to sign joe. bc of the crazy-ass cba if joe walks we basically have no money to sign anyone. best hope would be to keep him for a couple years and then maybe trade to a team desperate for a deep playoff run. the way our new coach is talking we may actually run a decent offense next year so there would hopefully be a lot less iso-joe.

i rarely hear about the hawks re-signing johnson. will they offer him a maximum-contract?

owners sound like they will. the 119 figure i mentioned is the max they can offer and 92 mil over 5 yrs is the most any other teams can give him. honestly i'd be surprised if he left that much on the table. the only reason he would go is if he's playing w/ bron or wade. really doubt he'd turn that cash down to play with boozer/amare or even bosh.

although i'm pretty suspicious of our owners cheapness so who knows.

bosh says miami is in ''top contention'' to land him:

Chris Bosh told us Saturday he hasn't decided what team he will sign with but is seriously considering Miami and expects to meet with Heat officials after free agency starts July 1. Also Saturday, Yahoo.com reported the Heat will be one of six teams granted a meeting with LeBron James.

Asked if the Heat has as good a chance at landing him as any team, Bosh said yes but that he will not decide until he has met with suitors that interest him.

``Miami is in top contention,'' Bosh said during a quiet moment at DJ Irie's charity golf tournament in Miami Beach. ``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. Dwyane is going to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game when it's said and done.''

But asked whether he would be willing to play center should the Heat keep Michael Beasley and/or re-sign Udonis Haslem, Bosh said, ``The thing I said when I came into free agency is I'm going to be a forward. I'm going to play my natural position.''

Should Bosh sign with Miami, those sentiments could increase the chance of Beasley being dealt, despite Pat Riley's comment that he will not trade Beasley to clear cap space. The Heat believes Beasley can play some small forward but views him primarily as a power forward.

If Bosh signs, it also means the Heat will need a center in free agency, with Brendan Haywood or re-signing Joel Anthony among the options. Among power forwards, Bosh is Miami's top preference, with Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer also on its radar.

One concern for Heat fans is Toronto receiving a sign-and-trade offer for Bosh that's more enticing than what Miami has to offer (Beasley, future draft picks), unless a third team is involved. Bosh could make $125 million over six years if he re-signs with Toronto (to stay or more likely for purposes of a sign-and-trade), or $97 million over five years otherwise.

Is it important to him to have the bigger deal? ``That's definitely something to consider -- that's a part of the chaos of this,'' he said, not ruling out signing with a team outright. If he does push for a sign-and-trade, ``that kind of cuts the number of teams down that can actually do a sign-and-trade that would work.''

Bosh dismissed a Yahoo.com report quoting a source as saying he would sign with Chicago if James signs there. But the Bulls are a contender for him.

Bosh said he will take recruiting trips, including one to the Heat ``at some point'' after Wednesday: ``Everybody pretty much is on an even playing field until I hear what they have to say. I want to see things for myself, how they run everything, what their ideas are.''

Bosh said determining his future has been ``very tough because there are so many things to consider. I want to win. I want to be happy. I just have to be patient. But it's hard to be patient. You drive yourself crazy a little bit. But if I didn't feel nervous, I'd be worried.''

Yahoo.com's report on James said the Heat, Nets, Knicks, Bulls, Clippers and Cavaliers will meet with him and his staff in Akron, Ohio, on Thursday, or soon after. The report deemed the Bulls the favorite but said the Heat and Nets will make a ``strong push.''

I haven't heard anything about Joe j. and the bulls. Just customer he's available doesn't mean that they want him or he wants to go there, although I guess if they miss out on LBJ they might make a desperation offer.

Customer = cuz - lol phone

i definitely read about johnson's desire to sign with chicago. not sure how credible that -- or any other -- reporting is, tbh.

yeah see i don't see joe taking any desperation offers. that's why all these "joe will sign early with the bulls" reports seem off. i mean i imagine everything will fire up once lebron or wade sign a contract. i can't see one of these 2nd tier players signing hoping that will entice those two. the 2011 bulls with only joe would basically be the 2010 hawks.

j, there's been word that he wants to go to the bulls and that the bulls want him. reinsdorf and his agent are buddy-buddy, too.

http://www.bestweekever.tv/bwe/images/2010/06/16.jpg

ron artest makes a surprise cameo in eclipse awooooooooooooooooo

makes sense; he's a better actor than taylor lawtner.

say queensbridge, bella

sorry daniel: http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=5333896

Chris_Broussard Knicks' first free agent meeting be w/ Joe Johnson at midnite July 1. Sources say NYK Johnson's first choice.

alanhahn Joe Johnson and Amar'e Stoudemire (close friends) are very much still the likely duo for Knicks if LeBron doesn't come.

starting my tickets fund right now tbh. prices were inflated even when they sucked, so i'm pretty scared to see what they'd be like if lebosh becomes a bull

sorry daniel: http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=5333896

― symsymsym, Sunday, June 27, 2010

i never wanted lebron james, anyway.

ESPN.COM "INSIDERS" KNOW ALL . . .

no-one knows what's going to happen.

but, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT A LOT, i still think the bulls will sign lebron, bosh, joe johnson, rudy guy and kareem abdul jabbar.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss51/tr_fudge/guy-1.png

triple post offense

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs113.snc4/36002_404145433172_130297048172_4606924_245002_n.jpg

bff's!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs113.snc4/36018_401203818172_130297048172_4527866_5228566_n.jpg

this was after mexico beat france obv

i agree with her!

that cutie.

bill simmons' twitter:

48 hrs ago: sportsbook.com had LeBron at +125 to sign w/ Bulls. Bosh was +300. Now? They're both -500. Hmmmmmm

ha! who-hoo! yeah!.

what exactly do those odds mean?

oh, wait! . . .

this is what i meant to post, anyway:

Stephen A. Smith reports LeBron James and Chris Bosh will be joining Dwayne Wade in Miami

ha! who-hoo! yeah!

:(

lol stephen a

OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH.

@illquittomorrow: Whatever you say. I've got 17 years of guessing pretty damn good, so I'll go with that.
about 5 hours ago via web in reply to illquittomorrow

______________________________________________________________________

@AndrewSmithEsq: I don't GUESS with news of this magnitude, sir. I'm better off keeping my mouth shut and letting someone else break it.

got that? take that, bullsknicksclippersnets.

charlie vilanueva, current piston:

You have a better chance seeing me with a Ben Wallace afro, than Lebron going back to Cleveland

__________________________________________________

Sorry to break Toronto heart, I love that city, but Chris Bosh is heading to Miami

btw, my strategy is to (a) listen to everything that reinforces my hopes and (b) TOTALLY IGNORE AND/OR RIDICULE everything that challenges my hopes.

it's a comforting strategy.

I am not looking forward to all these bandwagon fans who are about to come on board. Phuck you! Ive been here since day 1. I got a basketball signed by every single Heat Player from the Inaugural Season bytches

yeah, phuck you, phuckers.

fascinating interview with ira winderman, who i has been a sensible, sober voice about the free-agent process. two things jumped out at me: (a) there's still a lot of moving parts to this, including the need to deal beasley to free up the funds to give bosh a maximum contract and (b) winderman notes how quiet miami has been about its chances to sign lebron and/or bosh (unlike other teams), to the point where -- now that we're close to the free-agency period and things are starting to seep out -- someone close to the heat told winderman today to be careful about being overly-optimistic in his column about the heat's chances of landing the Big Three (and he put it in a way that struck me: "you wouldn't want to write anything now that would hurt this team")).

anyway, i still assume the bulls will sign lebron james and chris bosh.

the ''summit'' happened in miami this past weekend:

A modified version of the ballyhooed free-agent summit that was initially suggested and then downplayed by Dwyane Wade has indeed taken place, ESPN.com has learned.

Sources close to the situation said Monday night that three of the biggest names in basketball -- Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James -- met over the weekend in Miami to seriously discuss their futures, with a focus on the increasingly plausible possibility of those three teaming up with Wade's Heat.

Yet sources with knowledge of the meeting stressed to ESPN.com that James, while clearly intrigued by the possibility of forming a star-studded Miami trio with Wade and Bosh, has not yet committed to leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for South Beach.

One source did label Miami as the new frontrunner to land James in a package deal with Bosh and a re-signed Wade but also cautioned that James was "non-committal" with the start of free agency fast approaching.

Sources said James remains committed to fielding free-agent pitches from several teams when free agency officially opens Thursday at 12:01 a.m. ET, with the Chicago Bulls continuing to rank as a highly appealing destination and a return to Cleveland still figuring prominently in his thinking and with the Dallas Mavericks looming as an intriguing outsider.

Earlier Monday, Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith reported on his morning radio show and via his Twitter feed that James and Bosh have committed to joining Wade in Miami. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper, in a report on its website Monday afternoon, quoted a source close to Wade as saying that the 2006 NBA Finals MVP "believes his team is poised to pull off a free-agency coup" by signing James and Bosh and re-signing Wade.

Unless Miami trades away former No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley to a team with salary-cap space, so it can avoid taking salary back, Heat president Pat Riley will not be able to offer the estimated 2010-11 maximum salary of $16.5 million to all three Team USA stars.

But sources told ESPN.com that James, Wade and Bosh all expressed confidence at the meeting that contractual complexities to make this ambitious triple signing work can be worked out, although it was not immediately clear if all three players would receive an equal amount or if one or two would receive the max. Another variable is whether Bosh would be willing to sign with the Heat outright or if he wants to hold out for a sign-and-trade.

Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo acknowledged Monday for the first time in a radio interview with the Fan590 in Toronto that "it's becoming more and more clear" that the prospect of Bosh re-signing with the Raptors is "not going to happen." But sources close to the situation have maintained for months that Bosh was likely to work with the Raptors on a sign-and-trade if he ultimately decided to leave in free agency, thereby ensuring that Toronto doesn't lose him without compensation and enabling Bosh to get an extra year on his contract potentially worth as much as $30 million.

Sources insisted, meanwhile, that other scenarios were discussed at the weekend meeting apart from the Miami plan. One source said James' admiration for Bulls legend Michael Jordan is such that he is determined to hear Chicago's pitch later this week, keeping alive the possibility that both James and Bosh could still wind up together with the Bulls.

In that scenario, sources said, James and Bosh would join Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago, while Wade would hope to be joined in Miami by close friend Carlos Boozer, who was not at the meeting.

Sources said James, furthermore, has not ruled out staying with the Cavaliers. Although Cleveland does not have the financial flexibility or the trade assets to import Bosh or Wade and enhance its chances of retaining this summer's face of free agency, James is a proud Ohioan who is said to be still wrestling with the notion of leaving his home state, no matter how enticing the possibilities are in Miami and Chicago.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that Wade is also exploring his options by planning free-agent sitdowns in coming days with the Bulls and Mavericks. ESPN.com had previously reported that Wade and Bosh are scheduled to be in New York on Friday for separate recruiting visits with the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets.

It was not immediately clear, as details of the Miami option emerged, whether Riley intends to stay in his front-office role and let coach Erik Spoelstra return for his third season or if, say, James urges the 65-year-old to return to the bench for a third stint coaching the Heat.

so the idea would be bosh playing hardball with toranto ("i'll do a sign-and-trade if -- and only if -- you trade me to miami for beasley and the no. 1 pick toranto previously gave to the heat. if not that, i'll refuse to sign and you'll lose me for nothing." alternatively, there would be a three-team swap, moving beasley out of miami and bosh into miami).

wow, i assumed this was just a bunch of talk, but this kind of looks serious:

A source close to Miami Heat free-agent guard Dwyane Wade has confirmed that in recent days Wade not only has addressed the possibility of playing alongside Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh, but has discussed the financial machinations.

The Sun Sentinel has learned that the three star free agents have gone as far as to acknowledge that it might not be possible for the Heat to clear the needed space to start each of the three at the $16.6 million maximum salary that they would be eligible for in the first year of new contracts.

According to the source, the three have agreed to consider to "split the money up," if need be.

By unloading the $4.96 million 2010-11 salary on the contract of forward Michael Beasley, as well as potentially minimizing the cap hit of the buyout of forward James Jones, the Heat would be on the cusp of being able to extend maximum offers to Wade, James and Bosh.

With Cleveland not appearing receptive to working with James on a sign-and-trade transaction, it would limit the forward to a five-year contract, should he sign outright with the Heat. Wade, by re-signing with his own team, could receive a six-year contract instead. Bosh, however, is seeking such a six-year package.

Bosh could be accommodated in such a scenario by the Heat either sending Beasley to the Raptors or including him in a multiple-team trade that involves Toronto. The Heat also could send draft picks to Toronto, including the Raptors' future first-round pick the Heat currently holds, as a means of Bosh receiving his maximum contract length.

According to the source, a strong sense that the three might play together next season in South Florida came together only in recent days, although it had been discussed previously by the three.

daniel hate to break up your heat party but i have BRAEKING NEWS on the most important free agent of the summer:

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/06/28/kerr.tnt.ap/index.html?cid=nba.2013

please, please, please pair him with marv albert again and banish reggie to local pacers radio or something. kerr was probably the best sidekick marv's had in my memory anyway.

yeah. steve kerr iz good.

if i'm bosh, don't i gladly take a big, big pay cut and let LBJ and wade take the max deals?

i'd be joining a ridiculous trio and would define my legacy as one of the Big Big Three

i dunno, just don't see bosh as a "max or bust" type guy

If I'm bosh I tell lebron to let me and Wade get Max deals while he extorts the shit out of nike

of the three, if i'm bosh i'd insist on a maximum contract: he's -- by far -- the least marketable of the stars, so he'll make less endorsement money. but if they all take a very minor pay cut it's doable without these squabbles (and my vague memory is that lebron and bosh, or one of them, would have to take a very minor pay cut to both play for the bulls).

yi traded to wiz; the nyets free up another $3 mil

not rly freed up in the sense that favors is due to make that much next season, yes?

dirk officially opted out. granted, he is 99% going to re-sign with mavs, but...like if wade and bosh and bron all go to miami, don't you entertain a max deal offer from the bulls?

nah. anything's possible, i guess, but doesn't it seem like he loves playing for mark cuban?

btw, miami buys out james jones, using creative accounting to free 3M more in cap space than anticipated. i have no idea what the heat will accomplish in free-agency, but i really admire their operation. they've now taken about five steps in succession that keep moving them closer to their goal. the last two steps -- management's pitch to lebron and bosh and the possible trading of beasley, who i'm sure has been kept as bait for a sign-and-trade -- are precisely the spot you'd want the team to be in.

(sorry, an unexpected total of 3M added to the cap space)

ugh, this would be the worst. bynum has serious injury issues, tho, right?

not that it couldnt work, but i guess i dont understand how bosh and gasol would fit together?

YEAH I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT EITHER. DO NOT DO IT, CHRIS BOSH

Lakers expected to bid for Bosh paragraph

yeah, it's a very professional blog post. i also spotted an article reiterating bosh's comments over the weekend that he doesn't see a Big Three happening. not sure why he wouldn't, if the money issues work out (remember, the other likely destination is chicago, with rose, who many say will be a superstar soon, too). besides, chris broussard's twitter says that, despite the denials, there was a meeting in miami this past weekend, so bosh's comments might be more misdirection.

basically, i see all three of them signing with the clippers.

bosh and gasol would be a goofy frontline

Teams that have the cap space to one or more max. Let's assume that those who are close to one, like Miami, Chicago, etc. will be able to release enough space.

New Jersey - 2
New York - 2
Chicago - 2
Cleveland - 1 (assuming renewal of LeBron)
Atlanta - 1 (ditto, with JJ)
Miami - 2 + 1 (ditto, with Wade)
Toronto - 1 (ditto, with Bosh)
LA Clippers - 1
Phoenix - 1 (ditto, with Amare)
Utah - 1 (ditto, with Boozer)

Now, unrestricted max-FAs @ the off-season:

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson
and in a not-max level: Paul Pierce, David Lee, Shaquille O'Neal, Ray Allen

and some others restricted (rudy gay), + a bunch of unrestricted (salmons, duhon, nate robinson)

you guys honestly do not think that at least one team will be holding a banana at the end of this joke?

Someone is going to give David Lee 50 mil

you guys honestly do not think that at least one team will be holding a banana at the end of this joke?

― moullet, Tuesday, June 29, 2010 7:02 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

the knicks

Someone is going to give David Lee 50 mil

― no turkey unless it's a club sandwich (polyphonic), Tuesday, June 29, 2010 7:13 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark

the knicks

yes, some team -- and, tbh, it may be miami -- will come up totally or virtually empty.

but yeah, prolly the knicks.

the absolute basement scenario for the heat is only carlos boozer, or maybe boozer + johnson, which is way better than you could say for some of the other teams

honestly in that case i think the best thing for the heat to do would be to sign boozer under the max, keep beasley, tank the rest of the season, and get a top 5 pick + make a huge run at chris paul and other '11 free agents

yes, we'll likely at least get boozer. i wonder if that acquisition alone is enough to keep wade in miami, tho.

right now i want to focus on the Impossible Dream.

well obv wade has the right of first refusal of sorts in miami, so i think unlike bosh, wade isn't going to be sitting around twiddling his thumbs waiting for other people to make decisions before he signs on the dotted line -- wade and james are the big players in this, everyone is following them, and they are following no one, with the exception of maybe each other

do you remember how the story of shaq to miami developed (via stephen a. smith, btw)?

this growing story about the Big Three to miami has a very similar vibe.

wtf @ pierce opting out - he seriously thinks he can get 22 mil per year or more in a multiyear deal?

purely lockout-driven, and i'm not sure the celtics will pay

so bosh told the miami herald that he doesn't see bosh/wade/lbj "happening" because he doesn't see "how it would work"

that's either (a) totally accurate and the rumors of a Big Three are just that (rumors) or (b) it's some sly misdirection by Bosh. There's some strong indicators that it's (b), e.g., (1) marc stein said on his twitter that the denials of a miami meeting were bogus, and designed to avoid tampering charges, and (2) yahoo is reporting that wade and bosh might actually interview with teams together, which heightens the suspicion that they're working as a unit (presumably with lebron).

obviously, all reading tea-leaves at this point. BUT I WANT TO BELIEVE.

espn's experts predict chicago as the big winner, and us getting a pretty good team, too (but hugely disappointing in comparison to what we're hoping for).

is this miami radio guy legit Daniel? he's saying the deal is done.

http://twitter.com/lebatardshow

yeah, he's legit. he actually lived on the floor with me for a year in the dorms at miami. i didn't know him well at all, but he seemed like a good, bright fellow. anyway, i just came here to post that twitter message.

I hear bosh-miami is done ..bosh-wade shared agent avoids tampering...its why beasley, chalmers, anthony still here...raptors get them.

the denials you're hearing might be more efforts to avoid tampering violations, which miami is well-aware of. they won't fall into that trap (they did once before, tho it was the best thing that could have happened to them at the time).

I don't know why it took me so long to realize this, courtesy of Boucher this morning on the radio: Bosh is not worth the same amount as Bron or Wade. I'd still love him to be a Bull, but could work out better if they pay max to just LeBron, give a large-but-not-max to, say, Boozer, and then have room to maneuver and get a knock-down jump shooter.

that shooter being ray-ray!

YES

think i just wet my pants a lil

granny, you are right about bosh. the thing with bosh is the speculation that he was going where lebron went. lebron alone to chicago vs. bosh alone to miami sets up an intriguing and competitive series. lebron and bosh to chicago would shut out other teams in the east for a long time (the heat would be competitive with a wade/stoudemire/johnson core, tho). that's a big part of the attraction of signing bosh.

is there any way for the bulls to also end up with a perkins-type post defender? even if the bulls land wade/bron I just dunno if their frontcourt is enough to handle gasol/healthy bynum (healthy bynum is kind of a lol punchline atm tho)

yeah i do think bosh is being massively overrated in general. i mean, he's never been on a good team, but it's not like he has this airtight case as an elite player.

not really overrated, CAD. he's very -- very -- good. and young.

i dunno man, if noah is hitting Muscle Beach 6 hrs a day like he was last summer, there's your post defender.

how tall is noah?

I just have vivid memories of gasol/bynum completely eating up boozer in the playoffs

granny, i feel the same way about the new center we drafted from texas. if the "dream team" becomes reality, we don't need -- or even want -- him to score. we need him to chisel down that 300 pound frame and be a huge presence in the post.

Noah is a legit 7 feet. Think I posted here about being surprised at his height when I had 1st row seats this past season. PAC 10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR TAJ GIBSON could come in if boozer is getting handled.

I don't know a thing about him other than he's 7'1"/260, but '09 draft pick Omar Asik is supposedly reporting to Bulls training camp this year.

the texas center we drafted is 6'10, i think. but he holds the college record for blocked shots iirc.

oh yeah well my boy Omar set a record for blocked shots in Top 16 round play.

now I know 2 things about him.

lol. let's see how this entire process shakes out first. the relative merits of rookie texas center guy vs. omar whats-his-name will only matter depending on which free-agent signs where.

sounds like someone thinks Summer League games are totally meaningless!

no no! i will watch all summer league games.

i'm just saying that i now must prioritize industriously spreading baseless rumors about who will sign where. priorities, granny; priorities.

i really do think that bosh is gonna have a gasol like impact next year -- they were both pretty similar on their first teams -- good to maybe great players who were undervalued a bit because they weren't good enough to the be the total number one on a team -- both got their teams to the playoffs but could never do anything from there -- i really think bosh will beast out next to wade or lebron next year, he's ridiculously skilled

yeah. here's my thinking, j0rdan. if bosh does force a sign-and-trade to the heat, it intensifies the likelihood -- maybe 10 fold -- that lebron has basically committed to going to miami. otherwise, why not wait and see what lebron does? if he stays in cleveland, bosh might have had an enviable situation in chicago or new york, with max money. it would at least be worth a listen.

Pau:Bosh is a good comparison def, and Pau is making $16 mil/year. But that contract is still from his Memphis days, right? Def before the whole league-wide "uh we're hemorrhaging money here guys" realization.

Just happened across this video and thought I'd share it for old time's sake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NoeH_RkmcA

joe johnson likely staying in atlanta with a max contract.

how much bile with the bulls get if they don't sign lebron? (not much; i'd applaud them for the effort)

riley heads west to recruit; wade stays in chicago to recruit.