NBA Offseason Thread

[whitesoxfan101]

Cleveland. I'm not going to pretend the Bulls have a legitimate shot. Lebron loves this. It's going to be the great Lebronathon for the next 50 days. He'll thank the Bulls, Knicks, ect for the overwhelming interest, love, respect....Yadda, yadda. And he'll in the end say his heart is in Cleveland and all that stuff.

 

Wouldn't surprise me at all if this happens. I think he's going wherever Calipari does though, because the package deal thing sounds exactly like something LeBron and World Wide Wes would do. Where that place is? Who knows, because it'll take some balls to do that and basically give LeBron the keys to your organizations decision making.

Edited May 18, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[Quin]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if this happens. I think he's going wherever Calipari does though, because the package deal thing sounds exactly like something LeBron and World Wide Wes would do. Where that place is? Who knows, because it'll take some balls to do that and basically give LeBron the keys to your organizations decision making.

 

If Calipari had a choice of where to go in the NBA, it'd be the Bulls because of Rose (and pairing LeBron with him)

 

Edit: If it comes down to having Calipari included, that rules out the Heat (Riley wouldn't mix with Cal) and Knicks, and leaves just the Bulls, Clippers, and Nets.

 

These are the 3 teams I think it comes down too as well.

 

All 3 are in the 3 biggest markets.

All have some extra thing; LA has the LA lifestyle, Chicago has MJ's legacy, and the Nets have Jay-Z/Russian Mark Cuban.

All 3 have a serious detractor; LA is run by Lakers, MJ's shadow, and being stuck in Newark for 2 years.

All 3 have a super piece (Rose, Lopez, Griffin), a good supporter (Noah, Davis, Harris), another good piece (Deng, Kaman, Top 4 Pick), as well as some extras (Gordon, Hinrich, Gibson, Lee).

 

What I think tips it in the Bulls favor are Rose being the best of all those pieces and the ability to do a sign and trade for Bosh without removing Noah and keeping at least one of Taj/Hinrich/Deng.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Quinarvy

[DBAHO]

I think fathom nailed it pretty much by saying it's either Cleveland or whoever ends up with Calipari.

 

Just to be different, I'm going to say the Clippers.

 

On paper, they argubly have a more complete team than the Bulls right now (Davis, Gordon, James, Griffin and Kaman vs Rose, Hinrich, James, Deng and Noah), and if Lebron says his main reason to leave is to win, I think he can do that with that team in Los Angeles on paper.

[Chisoxfn]

I don't think Calipari is some package deal. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense quite frankly. Lebron will have power wherever he goes, but I agree with Chris Broussard that this talk of a package deal is pretty ludicrous. I think it is the mutual agent working to gain as much leverage as possible to set Calipari up for a big deal.

[Balta1701]

On paper, they argubly have a more complete team than the Bulls right now (Davis, Gordon, James, Griffin and Kaman vs Rose, Hinrich, James, Deng and Noah), and if Lebron says his main reason to leave is to win, I think he can do that with that team in Los Angeles on paper.

But you know what? If I was a player and I had a shred of a choice, I wouldn't go anywhere near that team's organization/front office. They don't just make Gar Paxdorf look competent, they make Gar Paxdorf look downright brilliant by comparison.

[LittleHurt05]

I think fathom nailed it pretty much by saying it's either Cleveland or whoever ends up with Calipari.

 

Just to be different, I'm going to say the Clippers.

 

On paper, they argubly have a more complete team than the Bulls right now (Davis, Gordon, James, Griffin and Kaman vs Rose, Hinrich, James, Deng and Noah), and if Lebron says his main reason to leave is to win, I think he can do that with that team in Los Angeles on paper.

 

IMO, Baron Davis & winning an NBA title do not go together.

[DBAHO]

But you know what? If I was a player and I had a shred of a choice, I wouldn't go anywhere near that team's organization/front office. They don't just make Gar Paxdorf look competent, they make Gar Paxdorf look downright brilliant by comparison.

True, but the Bulls have a lot of bad publicity with their front office / ownership on how they handled VDN, and the whole Paxson fiasco also. If that didn't happen, I'd say they are definitely the clear cut fav's for Lebron.

[fathom]

True, but the Bulls have a lot of bad publicity with their front office / ownership on how they handled VDN, and the whole Paxson fiasco also. If that didn't happen, I'd say they are definitely the clear cut fav's for Lebron.

 

I don't think any marquee basketball player would even care about that stuff that took place with VDN and Paxson.

[Balta1701]

I don't think any marquee basketball player would even care about that stuff that took place with VDN and Paxson.

I think I would. Especially given that the front office travails have had impact on the court over the last couple years.

 

But that's still nothing compared to the debacle that is the Clippers' front office.

[DBAHO]

It's really the Clippers ownership which causes all of the problems, that's not to say that JR is the perfect owner though, far from it.

 

They promoted some guy in about January as their new GM didn't they? I've heard that the Denver GM is also available and he's from California originally or something IIRC.

[DBAHO]

IMO, Baron Davis & winning an NBA title do not go together.

Baron basically only plays hard when he's on a winning team.

 

Talent wise, he's better than Mo Williams without a doubt. I think Lebron would be able to pull him into line and get him to play at his best if he went there.

[Steve9347]

Baron basically only plays hard when he's on a winning team.

 

Talent wise, he's better than Mo Williams without a doubt. I think Lebron would be able to pull him into line and get him to play at his best if he went there.

Dude's 32 next year and has a history of injury problems. You don't sign somewhere thinking "oh yeah, I get to play with that dinosaur for a couple seasons before he retires!"

[Balta1701]

Dude's 32 next year and has a history of injury problems. You don't sign somewhere thinking "oh yeah, I get to play with that dinosaur for a couple seasons before he retires!"

Yeah, but with a normal franchise, you'd also look and see Griffin, Kaman, and Gordon and think that you'd make a solid top 5, and the team could make a deal for another PG with a fair amount of ease if they were willing to take on salary (Hinrich would actually be a good fit too).

 

But with the Clippers, they'd set up a deal for someone and in the process somehow they'd wind up releasing Blake Griffin and Lebron would blow his knees out the next day.

[LittleHurt05]

I also have a hard time seeing Lebron going to Los Angeles, where Kobe already is the big dog, and he would have to compete with him on whats been one of the 5 worst franchises in recent major sports history.

[Balta1701]

I also have a hard time seeing Lebron going to Los Angeles, where Kobe already is the big dog, and he would have to compete with him on whats been one of the 5 worst franchises in recent major sports history.

If the Nets had the roster that the Clippers had and the Knicks had the roster the Lakers have, I'd totally see him going for that roster in a big city, even with the presence of another star. But it's the Clippers.

[DBAHO]

Dude's 32 next year and has a history of injury problems. You don't sign somewhere thinking "oh yeah, I get to play with that dinosaur for a couple seasons before he retires!"

Baron's just 1 guy, have a look at the Cavs whole roster beside J.J Hickson.

 

Lot more upside in Clipper land with Gordon and Griffin, 2 young studs going forward.

[heirdog]

He's coming to Chicago. Just makes too much sense. Young nucleus, cap room, city.

 

Contrary to what some think, I don't think Deng will be traded. Bulls will want to see what they have with that line-up and have Deng shoot his mid-range jumpers off drives and dishes, pick and rolls with Lebron, Rose. Also, Deng will be an expiring contract in as little as 3 years (has 4 left on deal) and while he will make $14MM in final year, it's expiring and will be less than another "max" free agent, since we will need to give Rose a max deal and perhaps sign Noah as well in that time frame. We can't have 2 "max" free agents and also hope to sign Rose, especially if that other "max" is anyone outside of James or Wade. Deng should flourish as a 3rd option with two studs. The only piece besides James that the Bulls will add is a rookie SG in the draft and likely Omer Asik, the Euro big man they drafted a few years ago. So the team will be:

 

PG: Rose

G/F: James

SF: Deng

PF: Gibson

C: Noah

 

Bench:

G: Hinrich

G: Rookie Draft pick

G: Free agent

F: minor FA/ warm body

F: James Johnson

F/C: minor FA/big body

C: Omer Asik

 

 

[Balta1701]

Also, Deng will be an expiring contract in as little as 3 years (has 4 left on deal) and while he will make $14MM in final year, it's expiring and will be less than another "max" free agent, since we will need to give Rose a max deal and perhaps sign Noah as well in that time frame. We can't have 2 "max" free agents and also hope to sign Rose, especially if that other "max" is anyone outside of James or Wade. Deng should flourish as a 3rd option with two studs.

Noah will probably get a good contract extension this fall, it's in his interest to get it done before the lockout. Rose will get his extension next summer.

 

The only thing stopping the Bulls from having Rose, James, and Bosh all signed to Max deals and Noah signed to a large deal is JR's willingness to go over the luxury tax threshold. And if he thinks he's about to save a lot of money under the new CBA, and if you think that's a championship roster, he's said he'd be willing to do so for that.

[JuiceCruz16]

I really think New Jersey has a LEGIT shot at him! If they win the draft lottery tonight, (which they are favored to do) John Wall coming in ( LeBron boy), with Calipari, (LeBron boy) and Jay Z as minority owner, (huge LeBron boy), moving to Brooklyn in a couple of years, not to mention the BILLIONAIRE Russian flamboyant majority owner known to throw his money around. Don't sleep on LeBron becoming a Net! They need to get that #1 overall tonight though.

 

 

3 way tie at this point in my opinion

 

 

Cleveland

Chicago

New Jersey/Brooklyn

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve9347]

Help rangercal and I out, guys. "Like" this page.

 

Send Lebron To Chicago

[SoxFan562004]

I'm in the camp that NJ's chances took a hit tonight by getting the 3rd pick and not the 1st

[southsider2k5]

Help rangercal and I out, guys. "Like" this page.

 

Send Lebron To Chicago

 

I saw this earlier today. Excellent work Steve.

[Quin]

It's coming down to LA or Chicago now.

 

And Deng needs to be traded by the way. While it would work, getting another piece in a sign and trade for Deng is too enticing.

Edited May 19, 2010 by Quinarvy

[LittleHurt05]

I wouldn't be so quick to knock the Nets chances. They won't be getting John Wall, but Devin Harris is no slouch and playing with LeBron could only help him. Lopez is a baller too. You can never disregard the whole Brooklyn/Jay-Z connection with him either, seems to be a big deal to him.

[SoxFan562004]

I wouldn't be so quick to knock the Nets chances. They won't be getting John Wall, but Devin Harris is no slouch and playing with LeBron could only help him. Lopez is a baller too. You can never disregard the whole Brooklyn/Jay-Z connection with him either, seems to be a big deal to him.

I'm definitely not counting them out, but I think tonight kind of sealed that another FA would have to be in place to make it attractive to Lebron. One of the pundits was pointing out that Lebron may relish in the "recruiting" aspect of all this since his ego didn't get that from college, I know he got untold millions, but the recruiting process is a different animal. That's where the Nets may have a big edge with now having one of not the richest owners in the league...

 

again, with all that said, I still think he stays in Cle.