NBA Thread

[Jon]

LeBron signs 2 year, $42.1 million deal with Cavs. Can opt out after 1 year.

[GM Franchise]

Trevor Ariza signed a four year 32 million deal with the Rockets.

[¿PapaPancho?]

LeBron signs 2 year, $42.1 million deal with Cavs. Can opt out after 1 year.

Smarter than he looks ... waiting on a new CBA deal so he won't get pigeonholed into a below value contract

[Gravedigger]

Pancho's right... a max deal after new CBA could be much higher... LeBron could get even bigger money in a few years.

[Mike Powers]

LeBron signs 2 year, $42.1 million deal with Cavs. Can opt out after 1 year.

See you next year - same LeBron time, same LeBron channel.

[GM Franchise]

Pau Gasol to sign with Bulls

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/12/pau-gasol-bulls-sign-contract-chicago-los-angeles-lakers

The Bulls have agreed to sign unrestricted free agent forward/center Pau Gasol. The terms of the agreement are not yet known.

"It hasn't been easy," Gasol wrote on Twitter. "After meditating [on] it a lot I've chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new chapter of my career."

Gasol, 34, spent the last six-plus seasons with the Lakers, teaming with All-Star guard Kobe Bryant to win titles in 2009 and 2010. The Spanish 7-footer is regarded as one of the best passing big men in basketball, and he was reportedly pursued by the Lakers, Thunder and Spurs, among other teams. He averaged 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last season.

SI.com ranked Gasol at No. 15 on our "Top 25 Free Agents of 2014" list, noting that a change of scenery made sense for after a failed partnership with Dwight Howard in 2012-13 and a strained relationship with former Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni over the last two years.

In Chicago, Gasol will join a frontcourt that also includes 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. The Bulls have reportedly been considering using the amnesty clause on power forward Carlos Boozer. Gasol will be asked to help spark an offense that ranked No. 27 in efficiency last season, as All-Star guard Derrick Rose missed most of the year with a knee injury.

[GM Franchise]

Paul Pierce headed to Washington

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11208931/paul-pierce-washington-wizards-agree-two-year-deal

Paul Pierce has agreed to a deal with the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN.com.

The deal is for two years and worth nearly $11 million with a player option entering the second year, sources said.

[Jon]

Heat front runners to land Luol Deng.

[GM Franchise]

Heat front runners to land Luol Deng.

Actually that might change. They're offering 10 million a year and he's not going for it.

[J-Reb]

With the type of money being thrown around to guys like Heyward, Parsons and Ariza- Deng should command somewhere near the max.  However, Wade & Bosh still have 2-3 prime years left in them.  I think they could still make some noise in the East and add Deng and you've got a pretty good starting lineup.

Cole/Napier
Wade
Deng
McRoberts
Bosh

Probably wins 50 games in the East.

[Jon]

Honestly, I don't think Wade has any prime years left in him.

This team will go as far as Bosh takes them. And I hope Bosh becomes the same type of player he was in Toronto instead of the one scared to play his type of game.

[J-Reb]

Honestly, I don't think Wade has any prime years left in him.

This team will go as far as Bosh takes them. And I hope Bosh becomes the same type of player he was in Toronto instead of the one scared to play his type of game.

People forget how good Wade was before the finals. He just has to be managed wisely.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

I always bet on the Bulls to win the whole thing and did this way before free agency kicked off thinking they might make a splash. Here is hoping Gasol is a lock. Optimism is high once more provided Rose is healthy. Loved our work in the draft and guys like Snell and Gibson are proof of some really good draft decisions of the past as well.

Surely this has to be the Bulls season...SURELY! Just need to get rid of Boozer finally!

[GM Franchise]

With the type of money being thrown around to guys like Heyward, Parsons and Ariza- Deng should command somewhere near the max.  However, Wade & Bosh still have 2-3 prime years left in them.  I think they could still make some noise in the East and add Deng and you've got a pretty good starting lineup.

Cole/Napier
Wade
Deng
McRoberts
Bosh

Probably wins 50 games in the East.

I do t think the Heat get him unless they go over 10 mil a season and they aren't offering him that.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

Wade has two or three prime years left?

He played a quarter of the season to rest up for the playoffs and wasn't effective until he had Lance Stephenson on him, who is smaller than him. As soon as George guarded him in game 5, Wade was back to being ineffective. Wade has 0 prime years left and needs to accept that he is Manu Ginobli from now on.