Free Agency...

[Midas]

Latest from today...

--- Amare Stoudemire has been offered a 100 million dollar deal as noted by Gary but that does not mean it is offical as they still want Bosh instead of Amare and they still have to iron out some details.

--- Joe Johnson is the same shit as yesterday...

--- Lebron met with the Clippers and Heat today with the Heat getting 3 hours with him and the Clips getting like a hour or so... I hear the Clippers have like no chance and their President didnt even make the trip... They are trying to sale Lebron on Blake but this guy hasn't even played one game...

--- Wade says he is a New York state of mind but then meets with the Bulls for a second time today and now ESPN is saying he is leaning toward the Bulls but I am unsure as I still think it is bullshit... Some guy named Orlando froma  Miami newspaper said that Wade is just fucking with the Bulls but anytime a expert from any city comes on and favors their own hometown team I take it with a grain of salt...

--- Bosh... Twitting all of this shit and loving every minute of it...

--- Boozer is still like the last option for some teams so who knows...

--- Dirk gets offered a substantial deal from the Mavs which is interesting because if it was the Max deal then they would have said max so I have to wonder if something is going on there...

--- Pierce aggrees to the Celtics deal which is somewhere in the 61 million dollar area over 4 years which is like 15.25  Mil per year which means he opted out for the purpose of clearing space for the Celtics to have room to sign Allen and maybe Shaq or Miller... He took one for the team but hell after this year Doc is gone and the team is gone also... 

[Hondo]

Mike and Mike just reported that Bosh is headed to Miami to play with Dwayne Wade. This sets off a domino effect of sorts.

*Its no secret that Bosh wanted to play with LeBron, but did NOT want to play in Cleveland. This tells me that LeBron is probably staying in Cleveland.

*The big rumor is that he wanted to play with LeBron in Chicago or New Jersey, but now that Bosh allegedly signs with Miami means that Chicago and Jersey are probably out of the LBJ lottery.

*The Knicks are still alive, but are falling behind in the bid for King James.

*There's still an outside chance that LeBron ends up in Miami, but it's unlikely they'd want to take on three max contracts, even if they can afford it.

*Expect Cleveland to make a MAJOR run at David Lee or Carlos Boozer to compliment LBJ, should he return.

[Midas]

They also reported that Bosh said Chicago just didn't fit him...

I personally feel at this point that we are going to have to settle for Boozer which is not the worse thing in the world but even then I like Gibson as the PF so if we don't get him we still have a team unlike the Nets lol...

But at this point I am not discounting the Bulls from the James hunt as I think he might have been leaning toward staying home but now that Bosh & Wade are going to Miami James has to consider if it is smart to stay in Cleveland.

I mean in cleveland he still has the same team he had last year that did not win a championship and now has a tougher Eastern Conference to contend with as Miami has bulked up and NY has bulked up and we still have the same Orlando & Boston teams that were dominate last season...

James needs to realize that by signing with Cleveland he is dooming himself to another season or so of not winning a title...

On the other hand look at what Chicago offeres... We can bring him in With Noah, Rose, Deng & Gibson plus we can still bring in Boozer to play with him which is a hell of a beter team then cleveland offers....

But I think he is leaning toward staying in Cleveland which I am fine with if he doesnt come to the Bulls but it will be a sad day if he goes to the Knicks and Miami has no chance IMO...

BTW lets talk about Miami and why I belive they still wont win a championship lol

Yeah they got Bosh at the PF & got back Wade in the SG but in order to get Bosh in a sign and trade they will have to ship away Beasley & Chalmbers which leaves them with three 2nd round picks and the big two...So now here we go filling a team with 16 or so million you have left and the Minimum which means no title... Now lets say they don't trade Beasley & Chalmbers and sign Bosh outright... Well then they even have less to fill the roster and have two players who other teams didn't even want for free...

Miami will not win a title next year IMO..

[Hondo]

I agree that adding Bosh doesn't make them an instant championship shoo-in. I mean, look at Toronto, Bosh never took them to the playoffs or had a winning season. He's not a Jordan, he's a Pippen.

That said, though, teaming up with Wade makes both players better. Bosh can get his 20/10 a night, plus he opens more lanes for Wade. They still need more depth on the bench, which they won't be able to get if they sign James to a third max contract. (Which I STILL don't think they'd want to do)

Chicago is probably out of it, but their biggest ace in the hole right now is the fact that they're the best ready-made championship team in the running. Add him to their current roster and they're at the very least a four seed, probably better.

The knock is, he still doesn't have that breakout superstar to play alongside him. Derrick Rose will get there someday. But he's not quite there just yet. ANd sure, maybe in three or four years a Lebron-led Bulls team could win titles. But I think Lebron wants to win NOW, however.

Best case scenario for Lebron, he resigns with Cleveland, they make a deal for Boozer or Lee and make that long-rumored trade for Chris Paul (and in the process getting noted Mother Effer {literally} Delonte West out of Ohio) OR sign with the Heat if they're willing to pay out a third max contract (I still say they won't).

[Fnord]

When do we find otu the final on LeBron's choice?

[Hondo]

Tomorrow, during his one-hour selection special on ESPN.

Swear to God, this thing is turning into a circus. I fully expect someone to walk past me selling cotton candy and peanuts.

[Gary]

you do know if he has that one hour special, and resigns with cleveland people will shit all over him.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

If no cunt signs for the Bulls I will come out of retirement...

[Midas]

I agree that adding Bosh doesn't make them an instant championship shoo-in. I mean, look at Toronto, Bosh never took them to the playoffs or had a winning season. He's not a Jordan, he's a Pippen.

That said, though, teaming up with Wade makes both players better. Bosh can get his 20/10 a night, plus he opens more lanes for Wade. They still need more depth on the bench, which they won't be able to get if they sign James to a third max contract. (Which I STILL don't think they'd want to do)

Chicago is probably out of it, but their biggest ace in the hole right now is the fact that they're the best ready-made championship team in the running. Add him to their current roster and they're at the very least a four seed, probably better.

The knock is, he still doesn't have that breakout superstar to play alongside him. Derrick Rose will get there someday. But he's not quite there just yet. ANd sure, maybe in three or four years a Lebron-led Bulls team could win titles. But I think Lebron wants to win NOW, however.

Best case scenario for Lebron, he resigns with Cleveland, they make a deal for Boozer or Lee and make that long-rumored trade for Chris Paul (and in the process getting noted Mother Effer {literally} Delonte West out of Ohio) OR sign with the Heat if they're willing to pay out a third max contract (I still say they won't).

I do not agree... I think is Boozer & James come to Chicago then we are champions... I also think Boozer & James in Chicago is far more appealing then Boozer & James in Cleveland plus Chris Paul aint going no where...

I really dislike when people contend that Rose is not a all-star yet... The guy wins rookie of the year and then is in the all star game last year and he is not there yet, think about it in this sense... Out of all the teams who can get Lebron D Rose is the best PG by far, no other team has a PG like rose and no one can get a PG like rose with a trade which is pure speculation... Rose is ready to go and lead the Bulls to a playoff birth something that Bosh couldnt do because he had a boo boo...

Rose
Murray (or someone better)
James
Boozer
Noah

Sixth Man
Deng

2011 NBA Champions...

Ofcourse worse case scenario...

Rose
Murray (or someone else)
Deng
Gibson
Noah

First round playoof lost or barely miss the playoffs...

Point is that it will suck if we get no one but remember that out of all the teams in question we still pretty much have the starting line up that got us to the first round minus Capt Kirk and we will have 30 million worth of money to go out and fill in some gaps that can make us improve... We still have the core unlike a team like New Jersey who won 12 games last season which would mean if they sign no one they are fucked...

New York needs more then Amare as he couldnt win a championship with Nash so what makes them think he will win it now without a marquee PG like Nash...

It will suck not to get someone but not the end of the world for us just more years of .500 seasons and the potential to lose Rose after next season...

[Hondo]

I'm not saying D-Rose isn't good. Far from it, really. All's I'm sayin is, he's not elite just yet. Give it another season or two. He's gonna be there.

The Bulls will get someone even if LBJ doesn't sign. I'm guessing either David Lee or Carlos Boozer, whichever doesn't follow Lebron wherever he goes. There's also the rumor that Josh Childress could return stateside and might fit in well with the Bulls.

Also on the Chris Paul front, theres still strong rumors floating out there. He's reportedly unhappy with his situation on Nawlins and would jump at the chance to play with Lebron. At this stage though, the only teams that could accomodate that sort of trade would be Cleveland, New York and New Jersey. (And the Clippers technically, but lets not kid ourselves.) And I really REALLY don't see Lebron going to NY or NJ because he wants to win, not rebuild. So if Lebron resigns with Cleveland, its because the brass has told him they're gonna go after Paul.

[Gary]

I think what Jack is trying to say is that Rose is not a household name like Lebron, kobe, wade, shaq etc.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

I think what Jack is trying to say is that Rose is not a household name like Lebron, kobe, wade, shaq etc.

But he is a winner...guys a 2nd year guard and is the Bulls team to be honest. Noah is decent, Deng is overpaid, Gibbo was a rookie and yet off this lads back we made the playoffs. It aint rocket science we need a couple more players. Also, Wade hasnt signed with the Heat JUST yet...

[Gary]

Oh I know rose is a player..im just putting what Jack said into what I think he was trying to say lol

[Hondo]

That's basically what I'm saying, yeah.

Also, I just watched Michael Wilbon's interview with Wade and Bosh on ESPN. Apparently, they've told the Heat brass that money and contract length is no object, and that they just want to play together. Whether that means they'll take pay cuts to bring Lebron on board remains to be seen. I honestly still don't see it happening, because even IF all three guys worked for 75 cents on the dollar, they still really can't afford the decent role players to surround them with.

I still think its Cleveland, Miami and Chicago, in that order. Everyone else at this point are pretenders.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

NBA.com reported Bosh is headed to the Heat and interviewed the slimey piece of shit as well. FUCK YOU BOSH!