NBA Free Agency

jterrell

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I agree Cas. This just in, Cleveland/Boston/Nets trade for Cavs cap space play:

Boston gets Nets Marcus Thornton and Cavs Tyler Zeller and a future 1st round pick from the Cavs.
Nets get Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev from the Cavs.
Cleveland gets cap space and a future 2nd round pick from either Boston or Brooklyn, depending.

Lots of very good young players just left the Cavs roster.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...eaded-brooklyn-nets-boston-celtics-part-trade

disagree with you both by a lot. 1st 2 young guys left CLE but they weren't the key young guys that could have been traded.
Zeller is useful, Karasev was a decent 9th man type but neither are starters on a playoff team.

And CLE has max money plus for LeBron right now.
They just got teams to eat all that cap space in Jack for two back ups and a future 1st.

Signals they are very much in the Bron sweepstakes.
 

jterrell

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The Lakers would be stupid not to be pursuing Kevin Love as their new building block.

I envisioned a scenario where Love and Kyrie joined forces in LA with LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony as the knew nucleus of a new Lakers team, but Jim and Mitch kind of dorked that up when they offered an injured, 35-year-old Kobe Bryant $40M over two years, haha.

Lakers were faves to land Love but that was before this roster bottom out started.
Love has been in Minny and faced not winning.
He will certainly leave but he'll go to a winning situation.

I am sure he'd love ot leave Minny THIS year and get to a winner.
If CLE gets LeBron I fully expect Love to find a way there.
Min has every reason to make that trade and CLE needs a 2nd mature star.
 

jterrell

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Issue is how the maxes work.
Money left on table now means more money left on table forever.

Because LeBron took a discount last time he makes significantly less than Kobe or Melo.
It's unlikely LeBron as by far the games greatest player EVER makes the most in salary.

While the money he has made overall minimizes that it does add up. 4-6m a year for 7 or 8 years is ~40M.
That's very real money to even Bill Gates.
And rich guys don't stay rich ignoring 40M.
 

casmith07

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I don't necessarily buy the max talk, but I agree that leaving money on the table is never a good idea.
 

jterrell

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Similar thoughts, it would be awkward as ****. If there's any truth to it at all, he's just using Cleveland as leverage.

that's silliness.
Dan Gilbert was mad and he had a right to be.
LeBron's decision was a gut punch.
They went from a Finals team to a doormat in 1 second.
Taking that lying down would have been more pitiful than the letter.

LeBron has always had all the leverage and has been hated by and far.
IF he goes back to CLE that wins him even more fans.
But he is going to do what he wants.
And fact is, his family just completed a mansion in Akron that is Michael Jordanesque and they live there every summer.
Rich Paul is his best friend and agent who also works out of Akron.
The wife posted about being excited to get HOME as they fled Miami days after the Finals.

This isn't that hard to decipher.
Rich and the wife want him in Cleveland.
Now the Cavs just gotta show him they can build a team around him that can win it all this time.

Because of this, Love is very much needed and Minny also knows it is their best bet to get a real return on Love.
CLE has had #1 overall picks 3 out of the past 4 years.
A couple of those are packaged off and Minny becomes a nasty young team with a bright future while Love becomes a sidekick to the King.
Irving is a primary ball handler and takes pressure off of LeBron that Wade could only handle for about 10 mins a game last year.

It is a good fit.
 

Rockport

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Issue is how the maxes work.
Money left on table now means more money left on table forever.

Because LeBron took a discount last time he makes significantly less than Kobe or Melo.
It's unlikely LeBron as by far the games greatest player EVER makes the most in salary.

While the money he has made overall minimizes that it does add up. 4-6m a year for 7 or 8 years is ~40M.
That's very real money to even Bill Gates.
And rich guys don't stay rich ignoring 40M.

Did you read the article? He's made 450 mil over his career. By far most of it has come from endorsements.
 

jterrell

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I don't necessarily buy the max talk, but I agree that leaving money on the table is never a good idea.

It actually was VERY worth it for him last time. His off-court earnings skyrocketed.
But he has all the big marketing deals in place now and staying at 16-18m a year range would be a pointless loss of money when he can literally pick his spot at 20m.
He can recruit guys, win and love life in basically any NBA city.
He's the biggest star in town upon signing of any NBA city, even Hollywood or NY.
They call the guy the King for a reason.

I'd love to see him sign in Dallas but he won't.
So next best thing is to take aim at him in the Finals like we did in 2011.
 

jterrell

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Did you read the article? He's made 450 mil over his career. By far most of it has come from endorsements.

Posted about endorsements yesterday so this isn't news to me.
I am an AAU coach... I see PLENTY of Nike LeBron gear, including on my daughter.

But again even billionaires pay attention when millions are discussed. And 40m is real money.
 

Rockport

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Posted about endorsements yesterday so this isn't news to me.
I am an AAU coach... I see PLENTY of Nike LeBron gear, including on my daughter.

But again even billionaires pay attention when millions are discussed. And 40m is real money.

You're right, that is a lot of money. I'm glad he's going for the money and not the championships.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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The Lakers would be stupid not to be pursuing Kevin Love as their new building block.

I envisioned a scenario where Love and Kyrie joined forces in LA with LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony as the knew nucleus of a new Lakers team, but Jim and Mitch kind of dorked that up when they offered an injured, 35-year-old Kobe Bryant $40M over two years, haha.

They could still get Love but it's unlikely that they will try to do that unless they fail to land James in some sort of combination Anthony/James deal. I don't think that's very realistic but I think they are holding out for any chance of that. Anthony seems to be very interested in coming to L.A. so if that happens, I suppose there is a slight chance that James might follow but I don't see it. The Lakers are really interested in three Guards. Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas and Lance Stephenson. I think that they would like to get one of those three in FA. If the Lakers manage to get Carmelo but not James, I think they re-sign Gasol, bring in one of these guards and probably run with Kobe, Anthony, Gasol, Randle and Bledsoe/Thomas/Stephenson.

If they don't get Anthoney, then I think they probably still go after one of those guards, probably allow Gasol to walk, go after somebody like Monroe and Rudy Gay, resign Nick Young and Jordan Hill and wait for Kevin Love and Durant in 2016.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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disagree with you both by a lot. 1st 2 young guys left CLE but they weren't the key young guys that could have been traded.
Zeller is useful, Karasev was a decent 9th man type but neither are starters on a playoff team.

And CLE has max money plus for LeBron right now.
They just got teams to eat all that cap space in Jack for two back ups and a future 1st.

Signals they are very much in the Bron sweepstakes.

Zeller is a nice young Center who can play D, Rebound and shoot a nice percentage from the floor with either hand. Also a good Free throw shooter who can make the mid range jumper. Karasev, I don't know about yet. He's still to young to know what he will be. Jarrod Jack is a nice player already (thou not all that young). I think the Cavs gave up a lot. I never said that Cleveland wouldn't get James but that's still a lot of good young talent that left Cleveland JT.
 

casmith07

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It actually was VERY worth it for him last time. His off-court earnings skyrocketed.
But he has all the big marketing deals in place now and staying at 16-18m a year range would be a pointless loss of money when he can literally pick his spot at 20m.
He can recruit guys, win and love life in basically any NBA city.
He's the biggest star in town upon signing of any NBA city, even Hollywood or NY.
They call the guy the King for a reason.

I'd love to see him sign in Dallas but he won't.
So next best thing is to take aim at him in the Finals like we did in 2011.

I think he'll stay in Miami. I think he really likes it there.


I'm just interested to see what Wade does.
 

jterrell

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Zeller is a nice young Center who can play D, Rebound and shoot a nice percentage from the floor with either hand. Also a good Free throw shooter who can make the mid range jumper. Karasev, I don't know about yet. He's still to young to know what he will be. Jarrod Jack is a nice player already (thou not all that young). I think the Cavs gave up a lot. I never said that Cleveland wouldn't get James but that's still a lot of good young talent that left Cleveland JT.

Zeller played 15MPG on the worst team in the NBA the last few seasons.
Karasev was a 12th man who made 12 baskets all year on the same team.

Jack is a decent but vastly overpaid back up type player. He's 30 years old and now on his 7th NBA team.

Arguing that is giving up a lot of young talent completely ignores reality and what all the Cavs have stockpiled.
Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Kyrie Irving and of course Wiggins plus Anthony Bennett the top overall pick contingent.

The Cavs WILL have given up a ton of youth by this time next week but the first salvo was a nothing in talent loss.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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Zeller played 15MPG on the worst team in the NBA the last few seasons.
Karasev was a 12th man who made 12 baskets all year on the same team.

Jack is a decent but vastly overpaid back up type player. He's 30 years old and now on his 7th NBA team.

Arguing that is giving up a lot of young talent completely ignores reality and what all the Cavs have stockpiled.
Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Kyrie Irving and of course Wiggins plus Anthony Bennett the top overall pick contingent.

The Cavs WILL have given up a ton of youth by this time next week but the first salvo was a nothing in talent loss.

I think if you don't get James, then you've given up a lot. Obviously, if they get James then that's a different story.
 

jterrell

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I think he'll stay in Miami. I think he really likes it there.


I'm just interested to see what Wade does.

I think Miami wore on him.
Like a college kid burns out on partying after 4 years.
I think he has matured and really wants to be home in Cleveland/Akron.
I mean he built out the mansion in Akron when he certainly could have chosen anywhere in the world to live.
He is a family guy at this age.

Word is CLE is now trying to grab Ray Allen on a vet min deal....
 

casmith07

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I think Miami wore on him.
Like a college kid burns out on partying after 4 years.
I think he has matured and really wants to be home in Cleveland/Akron.
I mean he built out the mansion in Akron when he certainly could have chosen anywhere in the world to live.
He is a family guy at this age.

Word is CLE is now trying to grab Ray Allen on a vet min deal....

If that's the case, then he's decided he's done winning titles. And to some extent that's okay. Nobody will care if he loses in the playoffs for the next ten years as long as it's Cleveland, which is strange.

His wife just opened a very successful juice bar in south beach, though. I just don't see him leaving a Miami. They might take a back seat for a year but they can improve and compete. They just need to flush Wade's contract down a toilet.
 

jterrell

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I think if you don't get James, then you've given up a lot. Obviously, if they get James then that's a different story.

James or not most teams would have moved that trio for the cap space.
Now if you are the worst team in basketball still then the future 1st becomes the difference maker making it a terrible deal but what they gave up in actual players was not much cost at all.
Houston is looking at moving Asik and Lin on expirings and breaking flat even.
That's a legit starting C and a 6th man on a playoff team.

Jack should be on a biannual somewhere and probably gets stretch released.
The Russian kid is unlikely to do anything on this contract but may be great in 5-7 years.
Zeller has 3rd big man type game but will do well on bad teams where he gets minutes to develop.

It is very interesting because two primary contestants in the Love sweepstakes are BOS/CLE.
Can't see them intentionally helping each other.....
 

jterrell

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If that's the case, then he's decided he's done winning titles. And to some extent that's okay. Nobody will care if he loses in the playoffs for the next ten years as long as it's Cleveland, which is strange.

His wife just opened a very successful juice bar in south beach, though. I just don't see him leaving a Miami. They might take a back seat for a year but they can improve and compete. They just need to flush Wade's contract down a toilet.

I don't see any talent in Miami.
Nothing at all to build around and no assets to use.
Cleveland has a better team right now if you remove LeBron from both situations.

50 games of Wade and Bosh just doesn't offset:
Norris Cole versus Kyrie Irving
Birdman versus Varacao.
Heck I'd rather have Dion Waiters than DWade at the same price much less at 10-12m for Wade.

Plus CLE has young studs.

I think what I am saying will come into focus over the next few days as we start to hear other trade, FA talks with CLE.
That team will be the favorite int he East the second Bron signs IMHO... but I could be wrong.
 
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