I might be a dumbass....but I would be willing to bet that he signs in Chicago

Lebron Bosh and D Wade to the bulls???? Gibby you really are retarded

Miami is looking good for King no title.
They can sign two top F/A that way King no title won't have to worring about quitting in the big game.

Gibby: Once again, you talk out of your ass. Do research before you start talking and sound worse than a woman trying to talk sports. The Bulls cannot sign 3 max guys as it stands. They would have to get rid of Rose/Noah to do so. They can however target two max guys, which will be a huge factor. Miami can do the same. If the big boys leave, it'll come down to whether guys wants to play with the young nucleus in Chicago that has a bright future, or if they want to team up with a top 3 player in Miami that's proven he can get a ring. Of course FO, city, and other things will have their place.

This is nothing new for Miami. After reading a lot of forums, it's a bit funny to read what people are saying about Miami. It's like all of this came out of nowhere and now they're a legit contender for LBJ and others. I've been beatin' this drum for a loooong time now. Miami has had this plan in place for over a full season now. Cleveland is in for one HUGE scare from at least a couple teams. I think each team has something good about it that could lure in a big talent. But I think it really will come down to which team has the best chance to knock the Lakers off. They have a dynasty going. I think guys have taken notice that they'll have to create their own dynasty to beat it.

I only see two of these guys joining the same team. I cant see Bron and Bosh joining Wade down in Miami. I think the Heat get Amare and keep Wade........still a pretty damn good offseason

I honestly don't think Miami, New York and Chicago are scared at all of Cleveland. They are probably laughing right now at the mess the organization is in and yet, they still think they have a shot at landing Lebron.

thedynasty1998;400994 wrote:I honestly don't think Miami, New York and Chicago are scared at all of Cleveland. They are probably laughing right now at the mess the organization is in and yet, they still think they have a shot at landing Lebron.

It does seem to be coming to light that even though he throws around a lot of money that Dan Gilbert may not be as good of an owner as many thought. He still has time to rectify this but I'm not betting on it.

2quik4u;400617 wrote:yea there are 5 max players imo

kobe
lebron
wade
melo
d12

This list is incomplete without Adam Morrison.


Whatever happened to T-Mac?

I can't see LeBron, Wade, and Bosh on the same team b/c they won't get identical contracts. I can't imagine them being on the floor together while one person is making more than the other. They're all used to being the highest paid.

ernest may have something here. When you are used to being "the man", it's sometimes very hard to give that position up. I'm not sure acquiring every all-star out there is a good way to create a team. It sounds good, but on paper a lot of things sound good. I suppose you would have to say that in the recent NBA finals, Boston's best player was Rajon Rondo. Rondo is a really good player but I don't think we put him in the same class as more "well-known" All-Stars. The Celtics did pretty well with the team they put together. Sure the Lakers won a nail-biter to win the Championship, but according to most people on here Kobe wasn't very good in the series. So why is the idea of teams filled with super stars so appealing. Because all we do is add up points scored, assists, rebounds etc. etc. of the five or six best players and assume if we put them all together, it will be an old fashioned butt kicking every time they play someone. It won't be.

BR1986FB;401002 wrote:It does seem to be coming to light that even though he throws around a lot of money that Dan Gilbert may not be as good of an owner as many thought. He still has time to rectify this but I'm not betting on it.

Thank you! Gilbert got lucky to land that #1 pick and get Lebron. There really isn't anything he has done since then to make you say, "That was a damn good move."

With all the hoopla surrounding Chicago clearing space, just remember that Cleveland is the team right now that can pay both Bosh and LeBron more money than Chicago. Unless Chicago wants to do a S/T also, which I think is highly unlikely since they already have $$$.

Obviously, Cleveland can sign LeBron to more $$$ than any team. But if Cleveland throws the package at Toronto then Bosh can sign his full max contract with the Raptors and that will apply when he is traded to Cleveland.

Chicago cannot do that to both players with the regular max, if $$$ talks then Cleveland will be the place Bosh lands. Bosh has stated he wouldn't mind playing in Cleveland yesterday and Toronto will surely love to take Andy/JJ/West's cap relief and others for Bosh. Toronto will have to take it simply because their in rebuild mode and they cannot let Bosh go for nothing.

All these teams clearing max cap space must understand that teams like Cleveland who can do a S/T, which most teams losing their stars want to do, can offer more $$$.

That means if Cleveland does a S/T, their MLE becomes way more valuable as second tier players will be looking to join Bosh/LeBron in Cleveland.

So calm down, Cleveland didn't have to make a move last night. Unless they were getting in the Top 5 of the draft no move was going to help keep LeBron. The big moves are still on the horizon.

As I post it above

Offseason Blueprint: Sign-and-traders
If their free agents decide to leave, these three teams need to get something in return
By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine

ESPN Insider is breaking down what every team in the league could -- and should -- do during the most anticipated offseason in NBA history. Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard have separated the league into six groups based on everything from cap room to organizational philosophy. Next: the sign-and-traders -- the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.

Toronto Raptors

Objective: Add size, toughness and shot blocking to frontcourt.

Assets: Free agent Chris Bosh for sign-and-trade deal or $4 million in cap space if Bosh walks; No. 13 draft pick.

The Plan: Having Bosh simply sign elsewhere is the worst scenario because they aren't going to replace his talent with $4 million in cap space. The Raptors insist there remains a chance Bosh might re-sign with them, which is why Jose Calderon is on the trading block; no matter what, the Raptors can't come back with the same group. The ideal scenario is to move Bosh to a team in the Western Conference in a sign-and-trade for a front-line defender and a 3-point threat. Cleveland, Miami and Chicago are all eager trade partners but are capable of offering, at best, combinations involving rotation players like Udonis Haslem.

Alternative Advice: Move Bosh somewhere in the West to avoid the embarrassment of him leading an East rival to the playoffs. The West teams, thanks to deeper rosters, are also capable of offering better deals without bankrupting themselves -- Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic, say, from the Los Angeles Lakers; Brendan Haywood and Jason Terry from the Dallas Mavericks; or Chase Budinger and Luis Scola from the Houston Rockets. It's OK to posture that bringing Bosh back is a viable alternative -- just don't think about actually doing it.

Atlanta Hawks

Objective: Reduce tax burden ($19 million over the threshold if keeping rights to Josh Childress and re-signing Joe Johnson) while somehow adding veteran leadership.

The Plan: The Hawks are stuck as a good team without the financial flexibility to acquire the necessary pieces to be great. While letting a talent like Johnson leave via free agency is sure to upset their fans, the Hawks don't have much choice, unless they want to be tax payers. Cleveland and Chicago are both interested in a sign-and-trade for Johnson, but Atlanta would be getting back lesser talent (Kirk Hinrich from Chicago, Anderson Varejao from Cleveland) and still be over the cap.

Alternative Advice: Be fiscally smart -- there's no veteran talent being offered for Johnson that is going to make the team better or increase attendance. The team's growth will come from the continued maturation of Al Horford and Josh Smith. Deal Johnson in a sign-and-trade to a team with cap space and the best first-round pick, start Jamal Crawford in Johnson's spot and bring back Childress for needed leadership and depth.

Phoenix Suns

Objective: Retain nucleus without incurring the luxury tax.

Assets: Pick Nos. 46 and 60, trade exceptions of $2 million and $1.071 million.

The Plan: Try to re-sign Amare Stoudemire to something less than a maximum contract and Channing Frye to whatever is left below the luxury-tax threshold. With GM Steve Kerr and assistant GM David Griffin both leaving as of July 1, and owner Robert Sarver running the show, the Suns really don't have an alternative. The idea of Sarver wheedling the best sign-and-trade deal, especially if it means coaxing Miami or New York into a three-team trade, just isn't realistic. For an idea of how owner-commandeered deals can turn out, see Memphis owner Michael Heisley's Pau Gasol-for-Kwame Brown masterpiece.

Alternative Advice: Move Stoudemire in a sign-and-trade for a draft pick and a quality player on his rookie contract (Mario Chalmers?) and use the massive trade exception that comes back to make a separate deal to a taxed team looking to move a monstrous contract. (New Orleans with David West?) With the miracle-working reputation the Phoenix trainers have, even using the exception to get Andrei Kirilenko or Tyson Chandler -- both on fat contracts with a year left -- would keep the Suns competitive next season and then offer fiscal flexibility as the new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out.

No team in the major race for a star, no matter what anyone says on this site, has the ownership willing to take on a huge salary plus the assets to bring in a star.

Call me out all you want, but Cleveland will be the team landing a 2nd star for LeBron.

$$$ talks and teams losing their stars won't let them just walk away people.

devil1197;401047 wrote:With all the hoopla surrounding Chicago clearing space, just remember that Cleveland is the team right now that can pay both Bosh and LeBron more money than Chicago. Unless Chicago wants to do a S/T also, which I think is highly unlikely since they already have $$$.

Obviously, Cleveland can sign LeBron to more $$$ than any team. But if Cleveland throws the package at Toronto then Bosh can sign his full max contract with the Raptors and that will apply when he is traded to Cleveland.

Chicago cannot do that to both players with the regular max, if $$$ talks then Cleveland will be the place Bosh lands. Bosh has stated he wouldn't mind playing in Cleveland yesterday and Toronto will surely love to take Andy/JJ/West's cap relief and others for Bosh. Toronto will have to take it simply because their in rebuild mode and they cannot let Bosh go for nothing.

All these teams clearing max cap space must understand that teams like Cleveland who can do a S/T, which most teams losing their stars want to do, can offer more $$$.

That means if Cleveland does a S/T, their MLE becomes way more valuable as second tier players will be looking to join Bosh/LeBron in Cleveland.

So calm down, Cleveland didn't have to make a move last night. Unless they were getting in the Top 5 of the draft no move was going to help keep LeBron. The big moves are still on the horizon.

You live in a fantasy world

devil1197;401054 wrote:No team in the major race for a star, no matter what anyone says on this site, has the ownership willing to take on a huge salary plus the assets to bring in a star.

Call me out all you want, but Cleveland will be the team landing a 2nd star for LeBron.

$$$ talks and teams losing their stars won't let them just walk away people.

You do know that whoever signs Lebron is getting him at a bargain right? The guy is a HUGE money maker and whatever franchise he goes to, will increase in value over night. Every owner in the NBA would be willing to take on Lebron and whatever else would be thrown to them.

devil1197;401054 wrote:
Call me out all you want, but Cleveland will be the team landing a 2nd star for LeBron.

I hope you're right and I have no question that Gilbert will be willing to throw around the $$$ but what the hell does Cleveland have that anyone wants? Their top trade chip, IMO, would be Varejao and that's not a lot.

Fantasy world, right I am not the one saying teams are going to be landing 3 stars.

Reason why Cleveland made no moves because the only moves worth making are a S/T which is a high possibility right now. Quite frankly, Toronto will get what they get. They need something from the Bosh deal but they also cannot let him walk.

If you don't think Cleveland has the right pieces then stick to the Browns football.

thedynasty1998;401057 wrote:You do know that whoever signs Lebron is getting him at a bargain right? The guy is a HUGE money maker and whatever franchise he goes to, will increase in value over night. Every owner in the NBA would be willing to take on Lebron and whatever else would be thrown to them.

That's not the point.

Cleveland has the pieces and the opportunity to offer both Bosh/LeBron full max deals. Find another team, (Miami no pieces left, Chicago no pieces left, NYK no pieces left) that can offer assests, cap relief, picks for another star.

You make the point about an owner willing to take on a huge contract and the assets to bring in a star. I said that whoever lands Lebron is getting him at a bargain because he's worth more than what the NBA will allow a team to pay him. Yet, that's not the point?

What assets do the Cavs have? Seriously? Hickson? Varejao? Mo Williams? That's laughable when you consider what other teams can offer.

Plus, Lebron has made people believe he really only wants a 3 year deal, so let's quit acting like Cleveland has a better shot than others when they are basically going to be offering the same contract.


Get out of your cave and face reality.

Ernie Grunfeld was the most unpopular man in the sport for letting the Chicago Bulls use the Washington Wizards as a repository for Kirk Hinrich’s(notes) $9 million contract, the 17th pick in the draft and $3 million.

To listen to World Wide Wes, LeBron will never look back on Cleveland. “He’s up out of there,” is the way he tells it to people, but LeBron’s Akron crew has to tsk-tsk such public talk because they all live in Northeast Ohio, and maybe always will. “We’re going to Chicago,” William Wesley tells people, “and Chris Bosh(notes) is coming, too.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Au5A4gkdSU0pC_OFANID4Kc5nYcB?slug=aw-lebronfreeagent062510

From Adrian Wojnarowski's front page column on Yahoo sports.

I have read that a few places about Grnfeld being despised for taking on Hinrich's worthless deal knowing it created the possibility that Chicago could essentially hand out 2 max deals and still have a core of Rose/Deng/Noah/Gibson. You add say a Lebron and Bosh or Lebron and Boozer and that is a loaded team that is all very young.

They were an attractive spot for Lebron before the ability to add another big contract guy happened, and now all the sudden the Hinrich deal has turned free agency on its ear. Even if they miss out on Lebron, say they add Johnson/Stoudamire, or Boozer/Johnson, or Bosh/Johnson and even without Lebron they will be an absolute force in the east, which is something Lebron has to consider when deciding where to go.

It is not a sure thing lebron is gone until he signs somewhere else, but it is getting increasingly hard to see a path that keeps him here given what some of these other cities can offer because of the flexibility they have that the Cavs just don't.

devil has been known to reside in a fantasy world when discussing Cavaliers basketball. I do kind of agree with him to some extent. IF the Cavs can convince Lebron to stick around, then yes I do see the Cavs trying to make a move for Chris Bosh via sign and trade. I guess it just depends if Bosh would like to play for Cleveland and if Toronto can find an agreeable package

If Lebron stays in Cleveland, Bosh goes to New York or Miami.

Mike and Mike has been pretty interesting this morning with Broussard and they just had the Bulls GM. They talked about Worldwide Wes and basically said something had to have been up when the Bulls hired their coach.

At this point, discussion should probably turn to, who can assemble the Eastern Conference finals favorite over the next 3 years, Chicago or Miami?

I should point out that I think Bosh is headed elsewhere (Miami, Chicago, NY). I think the Cavs will try to convince him but I'm not sure about their chances. After all a handful of other teams will be trying to come after him too.

The thing is, Bosh doesn't even take a phone call from Cleveland unless Lebron signs on.

And why would Lebron stay at this point? I honestly don't see any reason to stay other than the fact that he grew up 45 minutes away. They don't even have a coach. They are almost at the point of being a laughing stock, and are being mentioned in the Lebron sweepstakes as a courtesy at this point. I don't think anyone thinks they have a shot, other than devil and a few other Cavs fans.