*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (5 Viewers)

[Wu-banger]

do u think the Nets owner would/could offer James a backdoor deal worth over 100 million ..??

Shadier things have happened.

 

[thecatch]

The Milicic and Pekovic deals severely cut into the Wolves' cap room this summer. Starting July 1, with $13 million under the cap, Minnesota now has a little less than $5 million left to use on remaining free agents.The Wolves are hosting free agents Rudy Gay and David Lee in the coming days. However, the only way they'll be able to sign either is through a sign-and-trade.Sources say the Wolves will use forward Al Jefferson as trade bait to both the Grizzlies and Knicks.

Chad Ford just reported on ESPN.com that Gay cancelled the Twolves visit and is re-upping with Memphis for 5 yrs/80m

 

[thecatch]

Regarding MIL

Me and a coworker agreed its the worst contract in the NBA. Id rather have Illyasova playing over him 100 times out of a 100. Gooden is a vet minimum type of player or at best a LLE guy. To give him a 5 year contract at almost 7 per is disgusting.

It is nowhere near the worst contract in the league. There is talk that the last 2 years are team options anyhow. But Gooden at jus over the MLE, while not a bargain, is in no way the worst contract in the NBA.

rashard lewis might be the worst contract on the books these days. but give it time! free agency is upon us!

That didn't take long

 

[wikkidpissah]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.

And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

 

[saintfool]

Chad Ford just reported on ESPN.com that Gay cancelled the Twolves visit and is re-upping with Memphis for 5 yrs/80m

it's over-paying for Rudy but i think memphis needed to do it. they are not a farm team for the league. they need to show the fans that they're willing to put a quality product out there. they needed to show their players that they will reward their efforts.

 

[Smarge]

Chad Ford just reported on ESPN.com that Gay cancelled the Twolves visit and is re-upping with Memphis for 5 yrs/80m

it's over-paying for Rudy but i think memphis needed to do it. they are not a farm team for the league. they need to show the fans that they're willing to put a quality product out there. they needed to show their players that they will reward their efforts.

Especially after the team sold a 1st round pick and didn't make a qualifying offer to Ronnie Brewer, despite trading away a future 1st for him this past season. Grizz have said all along they like their core and wanted to build around it, so at least in this case they kept their word and did what was right for the franchise. Now Rudy needs to take his game up a notch.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I thought there was a moratorium on signing a free agent. Or is that only for UFAs?

Free agents can't officially sign yet so these are all verbal agreements.

 

[Celph Titled]

Regarding MILMe and a coworker agreed its the worst contract in the NBA. Id rather have Illyasova playing over him 100 times out of a 100. Gooden is a vet minimum type of player or at best a LLE guy. To give him a 5 year contract at almost 7 per is disgusting.

It is nowhere near the worst contract in the league. There is talk that the last 2 years are team options anyhow. But Gooden at jus over the MLE, while not a bargain, is in no way the worst contract in the NBA.

Here is what is being reported on the bucks boards with Gooden's contract. 1st year- 52nd year-53rd year - 64th year -75th year - 8With the last 2 being team options...

That's not bad, if those terms are correct. It's really 3/16, and in the 3rd year he'll have value as an expiring K.

Very true, those last two years being team options makes a big diff. Takes this deal from a to a

 

[Balco]

Nets spent 90 minutes meeting with Lebron, here is a breif synopsis of that meeting1.Nets spend 45 minutes unloading luggage2.Lebron asks how many wins did you have last year?3.Nets spend 45 minutes packing up thier luggage.

Obviously players should base their decisions on a teams record from last year.

 

[Celph Titled]

Nets spent 90 minutes meeting with Lebron, here is a breif synopsis of that meeting1.Nets spend 45 minutes unloading luggage2.Lebron asks how many wins did you have last year?3.Nets spend 45 minutes packing up thier luggage.

The premise of this joke is completely ridiculous.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I'm really surprised on the contracts being offered so far. I knew the top guys would get their money, but I thought others would get squeezed due to the poor economy and the uncertainty with the new CBA. It's looks like I was wrong.

 

[oneohh]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

 

[boubucarow]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

Except that Chicago would be better. Jordan is the biggest icon basketball will ever have so there is no question Chicago is "big" enough. Rose is much better than Harris. Lopez is a much better scorer than Noah but Noah is a significantly better defender and rebounder which would be more important on teams that will have plenty of offense from the other positions. Deng, if kept, actually possesses the skills to be a tremendous compliment to James as a defender and baseline marksman and if he is traded, an elite shooter would take his place. While the Nets with James would be a great offensive team, the Bulls with James would be a great defensive team with plenty of offensive talent. Just like in New Jersey/Brooklyn, James would be the clear headliner. Favors is the only thing that could swing this into the Nets favor but he would take a couple of years to develop into his ceiling and that ceiling is a ?. The Bulls are James most secure chance to have the supporting cast to make the Finals beginning next year and extending throughout and past a 5 year deal.Of course, none of this may matter to James.

 

[saintfool]

I'm really surprised on the contracts being offered so far. I knew the top guys would get their money, but I thought others would get squeezed due to the poor economy and the uncertainty with the new CBA. It's looks like I was wrong.

teams are having to overpay to re-sign rather than let players walk. the cap space available gives players a tremendous amount of leverage in negotiation.

 

[tommyGunZ]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

I agree completely with re to the appeal of Brooklyn but I think you vastly overrate the talent already on board. Lopez and Favors are championship building blocks as will be the other FA who comes with LeBron. Harris is a bad fit and the jury is still out on TWill, though he should be a good piece off the bench along with Courtney Lee.Overall I agree with you though - I think Brooklyn is a definite possibility.

 

[Wu-banger]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

I agree ... I think the Nets franchise has the most room to grow with Lebron from a business and value stand point. It is in one of the biggest markets in the world but has yet to really ever tap into it despite some years of success.Lebron could blow the doors off that market and create an entire new identity for the franchise.And if Im a Russain owner I pull out all stops ... including paying LBJ off the books.

 

[D'OHtis]

Gooden nowhere near worst contract in the league. For that matter, not the worst on his own team.

 

[saintfool]

Except that Chicago would be better. Jordan is the biggest icon basketball will ever have so there is no question Chicago is "big" enough. Rose is much better than Harris. Lopez is a much better scorer than Noah but Noah is a significantly better defender and rebounder which would be more important on teams that will have plenty of offense from the other positions. Deng, if kept, actually possesses the skills to be a tremendous compliment to James as a defender and baseline marksman and if he is traded, an elite shooter would take his place. While the Nets with James would be a great offensive team, the Bulls with James would be a great defensive team with plenty of offensive talent. Just like in New Jersey/Brooklyn, James would be the clear headliner. Favors is the only thing that could swing this into the Nets favor but he would take a couple of years to develop into his ceiling and that ceiling is a ?. The Bulls are James most secure chance to have the supporting cast to make the Finals beginning next year and extending throughout and past a 5 year deal.Of course, none of this may matter to James.

i don't buy this premise at all. - deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

 

[tommyGunZ]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

Except that Chicago would be better. Jordan is the biggest icon basketball will ever have so there is no question Chicago is "big" enough. Rose is much better than Harris. Lopez is a much better scorer than Noah but Noah is a significantly better defender and rebounder which would be more important on teams that will have plenty of offense from the other positions. Deng, if kept, actually possesses the skills to be a tremendous compliment to James as a defender and baseline marksman and if he is traded, an elite shooter would take his place. While the Nets with James would be a great offensive team, the Bulls with James would be a great defensive team with plenty of offensive talent. Just like in New Jersey/Brooklyn, James would be the clear headliner. Favors is the only thing that could swing this into the Nets favor but he would take a couple of years to develop into his ceiling and that ceiling is a ?. The Bulls are James most secure chance to have the supporting cast to make the Finals beginning next year and extending throughout and past a 5 year deal.Of course, none of this may matter to James.

Good points. A factor that I think isn't getting enough play with the Chicago hype is the fact that Rose and Noah are going to get paid in the near future. With Deng, LBJ, and the other max guy who comes with him, will Reinsdorf ante up Doc Buss style? In NJ, that's not even a question with the Russian Paul Allen writing the checks.

 

[Balco]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

I agree completely with re to the appeal of Brooklyn but I think you vastly overrate the talent already on board. Lopez and Favors are championship building blocks as will be the other FA who comes with LeBron. Harris is a bad fit and the jury is still out on TWill, though he should be a good piece off the bench along with Courtney Lee.Overall I agree with you though - I think Brooklyn is a definite possibility.

I disagree on your assessment of the talent they already have. I think a couple of the players were very miscast, namely Lee and Harris. Lee can be a Bruce Bowen type player, a solid defender who can hit the open 3. And Harris was asked to do too much offensively. He is a quick point guard who can create opportunities for other players. He should not be chucking up the ball from way outside like he has done the past two years. Harris at PG, and Lee at SG is fine. I actually think Brook Lopez is underrated. He has great range outside, has solid post moves and is a tremendous free throw shooter. And he can run the floor. Terrance Williams needs to protect the ball better, but it was amazing watching his progress last year. Check out his stats the last 15 or so games. The void is at power foward. Yi Jianlin was an absolute waste of space. In addition to getting stuffed by the rim multiple times, he was a horrific defender. The Nets do not need a power forward who can shoot the 15 footer, as Brook Lopez can do that. They need a guy who can defend down low. That's it. From what people are saying, Favors is NBA ready defensively, but he is just 18 years old. Not sure the options at PF on the FA market, but I think Lebron would have a tremendous supporting cast if he was in New Jersey.

 

[boubucarow]

Except that Chicago would be better. Jordan is the biggest icon basketball will ever have so there is no question Chicago is "big" enough. Rose is much better than Harris. Lopez is a much better scorer than Noah but Noah is a significantly better defender and rebounder which would be more important on teams that will have plenty of offense from the other positions. Deng, if kept, actually possesses the skills to be a tremendous compliment to James as a defender and baseline marksman and if he is traded, an elite shooter would take his place. While the Nets with James would be a great offensive team, the Bulls with James would be a great defensive team with plenty of offensive talent. Just like in New Jersey/Brooklyn, James would be the clear headliner. Favors is the only thing that could swing this into the Nets favor but he would take a couple of years to develop into his ceiling and that ceiling is a ?. The Bulls are James most secure chance to have the supporting cast to make the Finals beginning next year and extending throughout and past a 5 year deal.Of course, none of this may matter to James.

i don't buy this premise at all. - deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

The Bulls can also add another near max player to the team. And Deng has been the chosen defender against the elite shooting guards for the Bulls more often than not. I do think they will look for a shooter/defender at SG this year or next to log significant minutes possibly by trading Deng. However, there are few teams that will have a 2 guard with the quickness to hurt Deng or James. Neither would have any trouble guarding Kobe, whoever starts for the Magic at 2 guard, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, etc... Only players like D Wade (combo guards with great quickness) would pose a problem but he poses a problem for everybody.

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Some interesting stuff from the Lebron meetings

http://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider/

 

[Smarge]

i don't buy this premise at all. - deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

 

[boubucarow]

I've thought all along that Brooklyn had an excellent shot @ LBJ. They have been working the idea for a long time because of his friendship with Jay-Z, that same connection puts a media empire at his feet that no other franchise can offer and what greater legacy could there be than to "make" a city?! Brooklyn has make significant movement toward being the "cool" NY and a new sports franchise featuring the biggest star in team sport would seal the deal. Within a few yrs of a James signing, I could see the Jets moving back to the other side of Manhattan and much of the area from Flatbush to the waterfront below Brooklyn Heights cleared and rebuilt into America's Shanghai. For a guy who's always appeared to want to be a force beyond his game, having a city built around you with the added benefit of still being in the media center of the world has to have significant charm.And the basketball aspect is no slouch either. Devin is a better PG than Mo, BLop appears close to arguing with Pau for best post in the game, TWill was triple-doubling by the time last season ended, Favors could be a Bosh and, after signing James, they still have contract room for another major FA, whom i'm sure LBJ would have great input on choosing. And he wouldnt have to share the spotlight/credit with any big-name co-signees, while having an championship-worthy supporting cast. He'd have to be an idiot not to believe that this pkg would be his best ticket to many titles AND a major place in the world.

Except that Chicago would be better. Jordan is the biggest icon basketball will ever have so there is no question Chicago is "big" enough. Rose is much better than Harris. Lopez is a much better scorer than Noah but Noah is a significantly better defender and rebounder which would be more important on teams that will have plenty of offense from the other positions. Deng, if kept, actually possesses the skills to be a tremendous compliment to James as a defender and baseline marksman and if he is traded, an elite shooter would take his place. While the Nets with James would be a great offensive team, the Bulls with James would be a great defensive team with plenty of offensive talent. Just like in New Jersey/Brooklyn, James would be the clear headliner. Favors is the only thing that could swing this into the Nets favor but he would take a couple of years to develop into his ceiling and that ceiling is a ?. The Bulls are James most secure chance to have the supporting cast to make the Finals beginning next year and extending throughout and past a 5 year deal.Of course, none of this may matter to James.

Good points. A factor that I think isn't getting enough play with the Chicago hype is the fact that Rose and Noah are going to get paid in the near future. With Deng, LBJ, and the other max guy who comes with him, will Reinsdorf ante up Doc Buss style? In NJ, that's not even a question with the Russian Paul Allen writing the checks.

Reinsdorf has stated he will go past the luxury tax to keep together a championship team. I am sure the Bulls meeting is Reinsdorf clearly telling James that Rose and Noah will get their deals when the time comes and he will keep the team together if they are a title winning group. I don't see anyone sending of Rose or Noah when they are still in their 20's and winning championships.

 

[boubucarow]

i don't buy this premise at all. - deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

Deng shot over 40% on 65 attempts from baseline 3's.

 

[Balco]

i don't buy this premise at all.

- deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;

- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.

Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

I completely disagree. If anything, doesn't Rose need to have the ball to have value? He doesn't really have an outside shot, and is a mediocre defender. Terrance Williams has the potential to be a very solid defender, and Lopez is not a sieve in that area. Not getting where people are saying he is a poor defender.

 

[D'OHtis]

Lame. http://everykingneedsacastle.com/

Lebron idolized Jordan. So naturally they picked JOHN STARKS (i.e. Mike's personal #####) for the sales pitch. Great thinking folks.

 

[Balco]

i don't buy this premise at all. - deng would be relegated to the bench, i think. he's not a PF and Lebron isn't a SG. no team wants to take his *terrible* contract in trade;- nyets would still have cap room to add another player - maybe not a max - to run with LBJ. Maybe they'd have to give up favors in sign/trade but they'd still have room to bring in a replacement. players would want to play alongside LBJ after all. he just needs to declare his intent for that to happen, i think.

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

Deng shot over 40% on 65 attempts from baseline 3's.

I understand people don't like Deng because of his contract. But he is a solid player. Not worth the money he is paid, but he can play D, and knock an open J. That is all he would need to do with Lebron in the fold.

 

[Frostillicus]

Nets spent 90 minutes meeting with Lebron, here is a breif synopsis of that meeting1.Nets spend 45 minutes unloading luggage2.Lebron asks how many wins did you have last year?3.Nets spend 45 minutes packing up thier luggage.

The premise of this joke is completely ridiculous.

And he spelled brief wrong.

 

[saintfool]

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.

deng at SG would be a debacle. bron doesn't trade off and certainly doesn't change position. as a result, deng off the bench seems necessary. $15 million off the bench?

Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.

noah is a nice player but let's not go overboard. he's a guaranteed double double but just barely.

Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

i don't think anyone has any idea of what NJ would look like on the floor with someone like LBJ on their team. NJ is very much a work in progress and playing on such a wretched team likely skewed their performance. they will be different with a new coach and supporting cast.

 

[boubucarow]

I completely disagree. If anything, doesn't Rose need to have the ball to have value? He doesn't really have an outside shot, and is a mediocre defender. Terrance Williams has the potential to be a very solid defender, and Lopez is not a sieve in that area. Not getting where people are saying he is a poor defender.

Rose has a very reliable outside jumper that James could set up repeatedly. I already outline earlier in this thread that Rose/James would only play about 30 minutes a game together and they could split the main ball handling duties enough for each to develop their off the ball game much like Pippen allowed Jordan to do. Neither Rose or James had any choice but to dominate the ball since they both didn't have the teammates to allow them to be off the ball. Now they both do and their games will develop because of it. Rose will actually be able to spot up for jumpers and James will be able to find his niche on the offensive end without the ball.I also posted earlier that Lopez allowed a 19.9 PER to opposing players while Noah allowed a 17.9 PER. More importantly, Noah's rebound rate of 20.4 (5th among C) dwarfs Lopez's rate of 13.5 (40th among C). Lopez might not be bad defensively but Noah is better defensively man to man, a great help defender, and the main weakness of Lopez is his rebounding which is Noah's strength. Add that Noah is a very good athlete who is a solid passer and runs the floor better than almost any big man, he will be a very good fit for James.

 

[boubucarow]

Deng and James could trade off guarding the 2/3 spot. Deng is a good fit actually as a very solid mid-range jump shooter. With LeBron and Rose breaking down defenses off the dribble, Deng would get tons of open looks from 19 feet.

deng at SG would be a debacle. bron doesn't trade off and certainly doesn't change position. as a result, deng off the bench seems necessary. $15 million off the bench?

Bulls have room for 2 players also, and they already have an All-Star in Rose who is only two years into his career. Noah was a borderline All-Star as well.

noah is a nice player but let's not go overboard. he's a guaranteed double double but just barely.

Ultimately I think having an unselfish stud PG in Rose, along with a big man who will do the dirty work inside and a wing who can shoot is the best fit on the court for LeBron. Devin, TWill and even Lopez need the ball to have value. That's too many people touching the ball. James and Rose can handle the ball and create for teammates, while the other guys comfortably play around them. Get a Bosh or even Boozer who can also knock down 15 footers and rebound, and you're in business.

i don't think anyone has any idea of what NJ would look like on the floor with someone like LBJ on their team. NJ is very much a work in progress and playing on such a wretched team likely skewed their performance. they will be different with a new coach and supporting cast.

I don't think the Nets are far behind the Bulls and can see James picking them as the best team to win. But the differences between the Nets and Bulls current rosters on the boards and defensively are quite clear. Add that they also have nearly 40 ppg returning in Rose and Deng and I don't see the Nets offensive strengths outweighing the Bulls other strengths.

 

[massraider]

Rooting for LeBron to go the Nets. I just know too many Knicks fans.

 

[Professor S]

Rooting for LeBron to go the Nets. I just know too many Knicks fans.

Rooting for LeBron to go anywhere BUT Cleveland/Chicago. As a Pacers fan, if he leaves then the cards fall and that division is wide open next year. Not saying it makes the Pacers a front runner (Bulls still would be obviously) but at least they would have chance.I'm also obviously living in a dream world where Chicago doesn't improve at all via free agency despite their amazing cap space.

 

[boubucarow]

Rooting for LeBron to go the Nets. I just know too many Knicks fans.

Rooting for LeBron to go anywhere BUT Cleveland/Chicago. As a Pacers fan, if he leaves then the cards fall and that division is wide open next year. Not saying it makes the Pacers a front runner (Bulls still would be obviously) but at least they would have chance.I'm also obviously living in a dream world where Chicago doesn't improve at all via free agency despite their amazing cap space.

I am wondering if LeBron won't be able to pull the trigger on Chicago because that is the last team Cleveland wants to lose anything to.

 

[datonn]

Since we all love Wolves talk.

The Timberwolves opened free agency Wednesday night by contacting forwards Rudy Gay (Memphis) and David Lee (New York). Gay will be in Minneapolis Thursday and Lee will arrive on Saturday.

"Those are the only two people I anticipated calling today," president of basketball operations David Kahn told the Pioneer Press. "That doesn't mean that we may not ask others to come in, but they clearly were the two players I felt we wanted to meet and wanted to get to know better and have an opportunity to have a dialogue with."

When asked about Lee visiting a team already with two power forwards, Kahn told the Star Tribune: "Our frontline is very much in flux. I don't know what will occur there. David Lee fits who we are or who we aim to be. He runs really well. He finishes strong around the basket. He's an exceptional passer. He and Kevin Love easily could play some minutes together."

Memphis can match any offer sheet signed by Gay since he's a restricted free agent. Lee has no restrictions on where he can sign.

Reading between the lines here it seems like KAHN!!! is saying Big Al is out of here.

There's your understatement of the year. Kahn has basically been saying (and/or information has been leaking from Wolves HQ) that Jefferson will be moved for MONTHS. They even went so far as to say that Darko would be re-signed and that they would be bringing over Nikola Pekovic. Two "bigs" that made SF the priority in the draft over C. Telegraphing to pretty much everyone (even before announcing they were bringing Lee in for a visit) that Al Jefferson was gone. The idea is apparently that Jefferson will be moved for a 2 and/or picks and expiring contracts, then Lee would be brought in to replace him (using a combination of the money that's left under the cap and whatever they gain after moving Jefferson). I know Kahn is the popular whipping boy and the butt of millions of jokes. However, one thing you can't say about him is that he doesn't have a plan. The plan may suck (time will tell)...but if he, Rambis and the front office think that Darko and Pekovic will help more than drafting Cousins, and moving Jefferson and replacing him with a better fit at the 4 (for the style of offense/defense they want to play) while adding picks and/or a 2? I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Of course though, as a Wolves fan, what other choice do I have? Sigh.

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Portland almost landed Chris Paul last week:

The Trail Blazers were close to acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets last week, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The proposed deal had Portland sending Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick to New Orleans for Paul and Emeka Okafor.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower pulled the plug on the deal claiming that his owner wasn't ready to deal Paul.

New Orleans made a trade with Oklahoma City last week that got them under the luxury tax threshold, so they no longer have the financial pressure of dealing Paul.

 

[wikkidpissah]

If Brooklyn should sign LBJ, i would look for them to then sign DLee as a bridge to Favors (hi & lo pix from he & BLop would open a lot of spots for him) & then mid-level Jesus, who LeBron apparently wants as his kickout caddie.

 

[Smarge]

I completely disagree. If anything, doesn't Rose need to have the ball to have value? He doesn't really have an outside shot, and is a mediocre defender. Terrance Williams has the potential to be a very solid defender, and Lopez is not a sieve in that area. Not getting where people are saying he is a poor defender.

I was focused on the fit on the offensive side of the ball. Harris and Lopez primary value is scoring the ball. Harris isn't a distributor or really a playmaker for his teammates. TWill's value is in his diversity, much of that in his ability to handle the ball and make plays with the ball in his hands. Rose is unselfish, Deng is a spot up shooter, and Noah is a good passer for a big who's comfortable running high pick and rolls but doesn't need to score to be happy.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

STEIN_LINE_HQ Lakers just announced that mega free agent Phil Jackson will be back next season

 

[boubucarow]

STEIN_LINE_HQ Lakers just announced that mega free agent Phil Jackson will be back next season

The league is better with him.

 

[Mr. PadresLakers]

STEIN_LINE_HQ Lakers just announced that mega free agent Phil Jackson will be back next season

The league is better with him.

HowardBeckNYT In statement, Jackson indicates this will be his final season. "It'll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one."

 

[Walton Goggins]

Portland almost landed Chris Paul last week:

The Trail Blazers were close to acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets last week, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The proposed deal had Portland sending Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick to New Orleans for Paul and Emeka Okafor.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower pulled the plug on the deal claiming that his owner wasn't ready to deal Paul.

New Orleans made a trade with Oklahoma City last week that got them under the luxury tax threshold, so they no longer have the financial pressure of dealing Paul.

If the owner isn't ready to deal him then nobody "almost" landed CP3

 

[saintfool]

I don't think the Nets are far behind the Bulls and can see James picking them as the best team to win. But the differences between the Nets and Bulls current rosters on the boards and defensively are quite clear. Add that they also have nearly 40 ppg returning in Rose and Deng and I don't see the Nets offensive strengths outweighing the Bulls other strengths.

again, i don't think anyone has a clear idea of what the nyets are going to be like with avery. we know that he's going to stress defense because that's what he did in dallas and learned as a player under Popovich. i don't expect them to be as bad as they were last year even if they don't get LBJ. i don't put as much stock in you in the statistical analysis when you apply it to such a bad team. when you only win 12 games all year, it just skews the numbers.Deng won't be getting nearly as much playing time if Lebron came aboard. he's undersized at the 4 and too slow at the 2. he's going to rot on the bench waiting for get on the floor.

 

[Smarge]

deng at SG would be a debacle. bron doesn't trade off and certainly doesn't change position. as a result, deng off the bench seems necessary. $15 million off the bench? noah is a nice player but let's not go overboard. he's a guaranteed double double but just barely. i don't think anyone has any idea of what NJ would look like on the floor with someone like LBJ on their team. NJ is very much a work in progress and playing on such a wretched team likely skewed their performance. they will be different with a new coach and supporting cast.

It's not as if they come down the floor and declare their position....not even sure what you're saying there. Let's say they play the Hawks. Deng/James have to guard JJ and Marvin. Maybe you put James on JJ to shut him down and have Deng check Marvin. If you don't want James chasing JJ around, switch them. Deng isn't a stopper, but he could guard the guy.Noah was discussed as a potential All-Star last season, that's a fact. If I were starting a team from scratch, I'd rather have Lopez. But a team with James and Rose? Give me Noah.I like the Nets, and wouldn't blame James for going there. I just like the fit in Chicago a little better. It's also hard to get past the fact that the Nets were historically bad, and the players we're discussing here were the key components of that team. I know Harris was hurt and there were other flaws. But you'd like to think they'd fall into a few more wins with the talent they had.

 

[Masked Vigilante]

Portland almost landed Chris Paul last week:

The Trail Blazers were close to acquiring point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets last week, a source told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

The proposed deal had Portland sending Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the 22nd pick to New Orleans for Paul and Emeka Okafor.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower pulled the plug on the deal claiming that his owner wasn't ready to deal Paul.

New Orleans made a trade with Oklahoma City last week that got them under the luxury tax threshold, so they no longer have the financial pressure of dealing Paul.

If the owner isn't ready to deal him then nobody "almost" landed CP3

They had agreed on everything including compensation. The owner backed out in the end.

 

[boubucarow]

I don't think the Nets are far behind the Bulls and can see James picking them as the best team to win. But the differences between the Nets and Bulls current rosters on the boards and defensively are quite clear. Add that they also have nearly 40 ppg returning in Rose and Deng and I don't see the Nets offensive strengths outweighing the Bulls other strengths.

again, i don't think anyone has a clear idea of what the nyets are going to be like with avery. we know that he's going to stress defense because that's what he did in dallas and learned as a player under Popovich. i don't expect them to be as bad as they were last year even if they don't get LBJ. i don't put as much stock in you in the statistical analysis when you apply it to such a bad team. when you only win 12 games all year, it just skews the numbers.Deng won't be getting nearly as much playing time if Lebron came aboard. he's undersized at the 4 and too slow at the 2. he's going to rot on the bench waiting for get on the floor.

Deng and James are both 3's. But how many 2's will Deng/James not be able to guard? I do think they are trying to get rid of him though.The fact that no one has a clear idea of what the Nets will be like is their weakness. Blaming bad statistics on a bad team doesn't prove they will surely improve tremendously with James and Avery. Lopez isn't all of sudden going to become the elite rebounder Noah already is. James can see what he is entering with the Bulls and knows it would represent a better chance then he has ever had to win a title. The Nets are more of a question mark.

 

[Kev4029]

deng at SG would be a debacle. bron doesn't trade off and certainly doesn't change position. as a result, deng off the bench seems necessary. $15 million off the bench? noah is a nice player but let's not go overboard. he's a guaranteed double double but just barely. i don't think anyone has any idea of what NJ would look like on the floor with someone like LBJ on their team. NJ is very much a work in progress and playing on such a wretched team likely skewed their performance. they will be different with a new coach and supporting cast.

It's not as if they come down the floor and declare their position....not even sure what you're saying there. Let's say they play the Hawks. Deng/James have to guard JJ and Marvin. Maybe you put James on JJ to shut him down and have Deng check Marvin. If you don't want James chasing JJ around, switch them. Deng isn't a stopper, but he could guard the guy.Noah was discussed as a potential All-Star last season, that's a fact. If I were starting a team from scratch, I'd rather have Lopez. But a team with James and Rose? Give me Noah.I like the Nets, and wouldn't blame James for going there. I just like the fit in Chicago a little better. It's also hard to get past the fact that the Nets were historically bad, and the players we're discussing here were the key components of that team. I know Harris was hurt and there were other flaws. But you'd like to think they'd fall into a few more wins with the talent they had.

If given the choice between Rose and Lopez I would take Lopez...For all this talk in here of Rose being this great generous passer, if I recall, he has one of the worst assist rates of all starting pgs, below harris.

 

[saintfool]

It's not as if they come down the floor and declare their position....not even sure what you're saying there. Let's say they play the Hawks. Deng/James have to guard JJ and Marvin. Maybe you put James on JJ to shut him down and have Deng check Marvin. If you don't want James chasing JJ around, switch them. Deng isn't a stopper, but he could guard the guy.

deng could guard SGs that are spot up shooters and that's about it. he'd be a turnstile for slashers and athletic Gs. deng may be a willing defender but he's a liability out of position. lebron's going to play SF and defend whomever he wants.

Noah was discussed as a potential All-Star last season, that's a fact. If I were starting a team from scratch, I'd rather have Lopez. But a team with James and Rose? Give me Noah.

he a fine defender and rebounder. that's what makes him an all-star candidate. the league loves those skills but let's not go overboard about his abilities. he's not bill russell 2.0 or anything. he's an upgrade over varejao for lebron.

I like the Nets, and wouldn't blame James for going there. I just like the fit in Chicago a little better. It's also hard to get past the fact that the Nets were historically bad, and the players we're discussing here were the key components of that team. I know Harris was hurt and there were other flaws. But you'd like to think they'd fall into a few more wins with the talent they had.

same could be said for the bulls.

 

[rodg12]

Phil Jackson back for what he's calling his last stand.

Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson has decided to return to coach the team for the 2010-11 season, it was announced today.

“Count me in,” said Jackson. “After a couple weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It’ll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one.”

Jackson, who most recently guided the Lakers to the 2010 NBA Championship, their second in a row, has won five titles as head coach of the Lakers. Overall, Jackson has guided his teams to eleven NBA Championships, the most of any coach in NBA history.

A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Jackson established a new Lakers franchise record for regular season victories earlier this year, earning his 534th career victory with a win over the Charlotte Hornets on February 3. The fastest coach to 1,000 career victories, his total of 1,098 regular season wins ranks him fifth all-time while his .705 winning percentage is the best in league history. Additionally, Jackson ranks first all-time in NBA postseason history with a .697 winning percentage (225-98). His 225 playoff victories are also the highest postseason win total for any head coach in league history.

“We’re extremely pleased that Phil has decided to return,” said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “With this most recent championship, we’ve now won five titles in the ten years he’s been our head coach and have been to the Finals in seven of those ten years, which is amazing. He’s not only the best coach for this team, but quite simply the best coach in the history of the NBA.”

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