NBA free agency thoughts

[jvirk]

So after seeing the Cavaliers get dominated last night by the Celtics, it looked to me like Lebron didn't even want to play. It looked like he was maybe trying to put some load on his teammates to make plays and to make shots - but they seemed nervous as hell or like they were standing around shocked they have the ball and that James wasn't doing anything?

I was thinking, what do you guys think is going to happen this summer in free agency with some big names/or even trades?!

Lebron
D-Wade
Bosh
Nowitzki expressed interest in leaving maybe
Tony Parker - might get traded b/c he had a few injuries this year and the spurs are changing their roster
Ray allen

anyone I miss?

Personally I feel like Lebron and Bosh are going to end up in NY together, with Wade maybe staying in Miami, but Nowitzki moving to a diff team that's more of a contender (maybe an eastern team) - I don't see him going to a rebuilding team with a lot of cap space like New Jersey b/c I'm pretty sure he wants to win a ring and is already getting paid crazy money.

Let's here some thoughts...

 

[Harmeet]

Joe Johnson.

 

[Harmeet]

Boozer

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

lebron - if he loses to the celtics i see him bolting. if he wins the ring or loses in the finals then he will stay most likely. still no way to tell what he is gonna do, all the perks of playing NYC are overblown anyway.

d-wade - pretty positive he is gonna stay in miami. they will look to add stout, bosh, or boozer as a pick and roll buddy.

dirk - not gonna leave. him and cuban are bff's and he will opt out just to resign before the CBA comes out and limits how much he can make.

parker - maybe he gets traded. i dont do it if i am the spurs though.

ray allen - should be interesting. if he is willing to take a huge paycut he could stay in boston. if not he can land in a lot of interesting places.

bosh - he can land in a whole host of places. my money is on NYK or miami. OKC is a darkhorse.

joe johnson - overrated as hell. probably ends up in NYC.

boozer - ends up in miami probably or some random ass place. OKC would work.

stout - stays in phx or goes to miami.

 

[TheSlammer]

Lebron will go cuz they are done....He will hit new york or jersey.

Dwade will Stay, and Bosh will join him.

Boozer will go to NY OR NJ along with Joe Johnson

Nowitski-I think depends, how much better are they gonna get? They choke in post season all the time, I think we might leave. 50/50

Parker-don't know or care, he can't be as good as he was, too injured all the time.

 

[Navkarn]

surprised you don't think anyone is going to end up in Chicago ... i guarantee one of the above mentioned players end up in Chicago.

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

surprised you don't think anyone is going to end up in Chicago ... i guarantee one of the above mentioned players end up in Chicago.

it could happen but paxson is smart and wont just get a johnson or a boozer just to get anyone. bosh and stout are probably big targets though.

 

[chijatt]

surprised you don't think anyone is going to end up in Chicago ... i guarantee one of the above mentioned players end up in Chicago.

Hell yeah...saw on SportsCenter this morning that one of their analysts was predicting LeBron to go the Bulls. I highly doubt that one happens but I would love to see Bosh going to the Bulls.

 

[jvirk]

id say if chicago is to get anyoneee out of the above mentioned players it wud prolly be bosh..but idk

doubt wade will go there - i think hes staying put in miami w/ help on the way (i.e. boozer or someone else)

 

[ENVY BANG-RUH]

Marcus Camby to the Lakers, lets see how ya'll fuck with that front court. ooowwwhhheeeee

 

[Hand of Godard]

^ I'm pretty sure Camby just signed an extension with the Blazers.

Couple of other notable free agents not included in the OP - Gay and Lee.

it could happen but paxson is smart and wont just get a johnson or a boozer just to get anyone. bosh and stout are probably big targets though.

I wish I could share your confidence. Pax is too smart for his own good and getting someone 'just to get anyone' isn't exactly a foreign concept to the Bulls FO. Watch the Chicago population decrease by about 250,000 if JJ2 is unveiled in red and white after Gar strikes out on BronBron and BoshBosh.

The next two months are going to be hell.

 

[KushK]

As a knicks fan it has been very depressing the last decade or so.. so i would love to have Bosh and Lebron. I dont see johnson coming to the knicks if Lebron signs...

Would also love to see the knicks keep David Lee..

Btw Lee is a free agent, he's deff in the top 10 free agents being targeted this summer.

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

^ I'm pretty sure Camby just signed an extension with the Blazers.

Couple of other notable free agents not included in the OP - Gay and Lee.

it could happen but paxson is smart and wont just get a johnson or a boozer just to get anyone. bosh and stout are probably big targets though.

I wish I could share your confidence. Pax is too smart for his own good and getting someone 'just to get anyone' isn't exactly a foreign concept to the Bulls FO. Watch the Chicago population decrease by about 250,000 if JJ2 is unveiled in red and white after Gar strikes out on BronBron and BoshBosh.

The next two months are going to be hell.

yea camby got reupped for 2 more years by portland. lakers are fucked cap wise for the next few years and wont make any big additions.

the bulls to me are the most attractive option out there. playing with rose, noah and deng would be fun as hell. stout and rose running pick and roll all day would be devastating. but yea, management is sometimes forced to do something just to cover their asses and say 'oh look atleast i did something'. david lee to chicago? trade taj gibson? hmmmm

 

[Hand of Godard]

I'd be ok with Lee if

a) he were signed to a less than max deal
b) Gar used the extra money to get a shooter at the 2

Won't be anywhere near a dynasty team though. But if the other teams' moves end up sabotaging each other to the point where talent is spread throughout the two conferences, the Bulls could make the occasional run at representing the East in the finals.

Involving Taj (or Deng or Hinrich) in an S&T really shouldn't be an issue if it meant a big name/second FA in return but this FO is in love with their solid, hardworking but ultimately limited players.

 

[Kush]

surprised you don't think anyone is going to end up in Chicago ... i guarantee one of the above mentioned players end up in Chicago.

it could happen but paxson is smart and wont just get a johnson or a boozer just to get anyone. bosh and stout are probably big targets though.

Which ever of the two does NOT go to miami, will go to chicago. All of my friends delusioned by the murmers about lebron moseying his way on over to the heat just frustrate me. Don't build the unrealistic hype. Lebron is staying in cleveland, or going to new york.

I'm kind of hoping for stoudamire, with the big man down low for wade the game really changes. In addition, with the clearance of beasley and at least one other player (please not haslem, love him), there will be room for boozer to roll in as well. I wouldn't mind bosh, but forcing him to center is somewhat unnatural. unless he puts on 40 lbs in the off season...

Expect big moves from boston which WILL result in a fall from their boss status in the east but hopefully will lay the ground for an intelligent rebuild incorporating breakout star Rajon Rondo (the kid is GOOD, lets face it). Ray Allen out of the mix is a GOOD THING for the future of boston. They gotta start their rebuild now before they're completely running on fumes.


Lee WILL stay at the knicks if lebron comes, and Lee is probably the only real incentive that Lebron has to show his face in the garden (APART from the huge pressure from the league and fans to put SOME respect back into one of the oldest teams in the NBA with an annoying, albeit enormous fan base and following). Personally, I hope you guys (knickerbockers) go relatively empty handed this off season despite the $$$. And without some magical/off the wall trades, I don't see any huge jumps for you apart from Lebron coming, bosh-lee combo isn't enough to make real sparks hapepn. Here's hoping for another few years (if not decades) of subpar knicks basketball!


All in all i see ALOT of HYPE and I see the off season really not living up to THAT MUCH hype. Big time players are gonna make it further than predicted (see stoudamire! Since the all star break that man has been among the top 3 in the league!) The teams that make the draft interesting are the Heat, Knicks, Nets, and Bulls. I will call us seeing one off these free agents going somewhere unexpected. And I also will say that we may have a very different looking NBA next year, with alot more strength beyond the top 4-5 seeds in the East, and some top seeded West teams looking at some very new rosters (suns, jazz, spurs).