tOfficial "2014 LeBron James" Superthread

[The Derski]

I STILL feel that he's going back to the Heat....but things are going to get mighty interesting if Memo signs with a team that can fit Lebron in as well

Aka the Suns............

 

[Hambombs]

He's staying. This is all just for show

 

[Triplexxx23]

Freeagent are coming off the board real fast...miami is wasting time. I think they should go and try their best to bring gasol to miami cause they really running out time here and not much left in the freeagent basket.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I'm trying to not be a homer here... but from a basketball standpoint Phoenix does make a lot of sense.

Shame Phoenix is a shit-hole though

 

[tlance]

Not sure I can see him in the west, if he stays in Miami there is really nobody in the way of him making at least a couple more finals appearances. In the west it would be a fight to get there every year... Nah, he stays in the east and most likely with the Heat.

Finals appearances mean nothing to him at this point. It is about rings.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

As I said he is fucking us over either way. He needs to make a decision by Sunday to not fuck us over

I'd love to see him sign, but he's not fucking us over. He's doing exactly what he said he was going to do, just like he did heading into his 2010 FA. Did he fuck the Cavs over?

First of all, none of these players who are signing for top dollar were ever viable options for the Heat (assuming the Big 3) were all coming back. The players the Heat are realistically in the running for are all still on the board. If those players( like Ariza) can also get inflated contracts, then the Heat is going to once again have to turn to the vets like Marion, Butler, to upgrade there bench.

People need to stop reading and believing all these stories, by all these wanna be the first to report sources.
Most of the time they will run with anything, just hoping to be first, hoping to be correct, with no repercussions if they are not.


Riley, Bosh, and Wade all have met with James and all can communicate with him any time they want.
Wade is his 'brother'. You don't think James tells him where his mind is at?
You don't think Wade communicates anything he knows to Riley?
If James didn't make it clear that he wanted to return, then NO WAY Wade and Haslem opt out.
Riley has never failed from this position before. Let's let him do his job.
If James put him in an impossible situation with his demands, then there really isn't anything he can do about it anyway.

 

[anotheridiot]

He has not even visited anyone else. Thats how he is fucking them over. You get the sense he is signing, he expects max and expects wade and bosh to take scrap money. My take, Bosh's agent said no. Bosh can get a max deal, he does not deserve it, but he would be one of many to get max without deserving it.

 

[Nooone]

I don't think anyone would pay bosh the max at this point

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

I don't think anyone would pay bosh the max at this point

There's supposed teams lining up to offer and match a max to Hayward.
I think you are underestimating what some of these owners will do, if given the opportunity.

 

[bksballer89]

I don't think anyone would pay bosh the max at this point

Gordon Hayward can get the max but bosh can't? Bosh is a 22 & 8 player as a first option

 

[trojanfan12]

Gordon Hayward can get the max but bosh can't? Bosh is a 22 & 8 player as a first option

I would have zero problem if the Lakers offered Bosh a max or near max deal. I wanted Bosh back when he chose to go to Miami.

I also think he would be a better #1 or #2 option than he was back then because he has added a better outside shot to his game. People keep criticizing him without understanding what he has sacrificed to make the big 3 actually work.

 

[avalon2423]

If LBJ stays, Bosh HAS to become Miami #2 option. It can not be Wade anymore.

 

[Kold]

I'd love to see him sign, but he's not fucking us over. He's doing exactly what he said he was going to do, just like he did heading into his 2010 FA. Did he fuck the Cavs over?

First of all, none of these players who are signing for top dollar were ever viable options for the Heat (assuming the Big 3) were all coming back. The players the Heat are realistically in the running for are all still on the board. If those players( like Ariza) can also get inflated contracts, then the Heat is going to once again have to turn to the vets like Marion, Butler, to upgrade there bench.

People need to stop reading and believing all these stories, by all these wanna be the first to report sources.
Most of the time they will run with anything, just hoping to be first, hoping to be correct, with no repercussions if they are not.


Riley, Bosh, and Wade all have met with James and all can communicate with him any time they want.
Wade is his 'brother'. You don't think James tells him where his mind is at?
You don't think Wade communicates anything he knows to Riley?
If James didn't make it clear that he wanted to return, then NO WAY Wade and Haslem opt out.
Riley has never failed from this position before. Let's let him do his job.
If James put him in an impossible situation with his demands, then there really isn't anything he can do about it anyway.

But the thing is, other Fa's aren't waiting for him, and the only thing that may be left by the time Lebron decides are those guys you mentioned. Before Free agency started, nobody was really talking about guys like Shawn Marion being a difference maker for the Heat, it was all about Lowry and Melo. I mean while those old veterans may just come in and make a difference, I think Kyle Lowry would of been in play had Lebron already said that he would come back, and that he'd take 17 mil or so. Unlike 2010, Lebron doesn't a YOUNG and healthy Wade and Bosh(well Bosh is relatively young) in his backpocket, knowing that that's all the Heat needed to do. If it were 2010, then sure he could take all day and then say I'm going to Miami....but now they need upgrades, and with no one sure about what Lebron is gonna do, it's gonna be tough to get a young guy to commit

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

But the thing is, other Fa's aren't waiting for him, and the only thing that may be left by the time Lebron decides are those guys you mentioned. Before Free agency started, nobody was really talking about guys like Shawn Marion being a difference maker for the Heat, it was all about Lowry and Melo. I mean while those old veterans may just come in and make a difference, I think Kyle Lowry would of been in play had Lebron already said that he would come back, and that he'd take 17 mil or so. Unlike 2010, Lebron doesn't a YOUNG and healthy Wade and Bosh(well Bosh is relatively young) in his backpocket, knowing that that's all the Heat needed to do. If it were 2010, then sure he could take all day and then say I'm going to Miami....but now they need upgrades, and with no one sure about what Lebron is gonna do, it's gonna be tough to get a young guy to commit

Agree, but that should have been a well known, thought through problem.
The problem with having no elite youth is not having the lower contracts that come along with them.
If a team wants to have 3 max or near max players, then the only way to fill the roster is how they have done it the last few years.

For the Melo scenario to work, obviously all 4 would have needed to be on the same mindset, which now appears not to be the case.

We're only in the 3 rd day and all Riley can do is reach out to the top FA and see what their mindset is.
I guarantee you he has a plan A, B, and C.
There are so many scenarios with sign and trades, etc...that we have no idea about.

It's fun to guess and speculate, but let's not forget, that really is all we are doing.

If Gasol goes to Ok City on the cheap, that would be my real 1st concern.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Gordon Hayward can get the max but bosh can't? Bosh is a 22 & 8 player as a first option

You do understand that "max" for both players is a difference of $6+ mil? Bosh while a very good player, isn't a great, lead your team type of player. 22/8 isn't worth max money. Again Hayward getting the max amount($14 mil) he can is a byproduct of being a RFA, not a reflection of his true value.

No one is going to pay Bosh a $20+ mil max deal.

 

[tlance]

You do understand that "max" for both players is a difference of $6+ mil? Bosh while a very good player, isn't a great, lead your team type of player. 22/8 isn't worth max money. Again Hayward getting the max amount($14 mil) he can is a byproduct of being a RFA.

No one is going to pay Bosh a $20+ mil max deal.

Bingo. Totally different situations.

Careful though Mike. While I agree that nobody should give Bosh a max deal, that does not mean that nobody will give Bosh a max deal. Teams have made worse decisions in the past.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Bingo. Totally different situations.

Careful though Mike. While I agree that nobody should give Bosh a max deal, that does not mean that nobody will give Bosh a max deal. Teams have made worse decisions in the past.

But there is no "real" market where Bosh could get that money. Who has that type that would be willing to give him a max deal? Teams would be more willing to wait til 2015 for Love before giving that type of money to Bosh. I just don't see a place outside of Miami where he can use leverage for a big payday.

And yes GM(s) make poor decisions all the time. Josh Smith is an example of that.

 

[gordontrue]

I call complete bogus on any FA skipping the Heat because of the uncertainty surrounding LeBron.

1) If anything, LeBron has helped the Heat by staying so low key. Up until last night everyone was sure that he was staying in Miami. I said a couple days ago that I though LeBron was letting that perception happen in order to help Riley. He's done everything he possibly can to avoid the appearance of shopping around for teams.

2) As others have said, there hasn't been a serious FA that has signed for anywhere near what the Heat will likely have in available cap space. (And we're talking about 1 player compared to the Heat's 14 open roster spots) The hope that these FA (most of whom are looking at their first big payday) would forego market value to play on the Heat is a pie-in-the-sky scenario, even if LeBron was already re-signed.

3) If you want to blame someone for the Heat not landing a Free Agent that you think they should've been able to... how about, oh I don't know... blaming the front office. I guess Riley's overblown legend has put him past culpability?

4) The only free agents that I believe having LeBron re-signed would actually make a big impact on are the old minimum veteran guys (Ray Allen). Those guys are going to wait for LeBron to make a decision, no matter how long it takes, anyway.

 

[gordontrue]

But there is no "real" market where Bosh could get that money. Who has that type that would be willing to give him a max deal? Teams would be more willing to wait til 2015 for Love before giving that type of money to Bosh. I just don't see a place outside of Miami where he can use leverage for a big payday.

And yes GM(s) make poor decisions all the time. Josh Smith is an example of that.

Lakers, Suns, 76ers, Mavs, Jazz, Magic, Hornets all would give Bosh max, IMO. (Assuming they can't get Bron or Melo)

 

[Heatles84]

You do understand that "max" for both players is a difference of $6+ mil? Bosh while a very good player, isn't a great, lead your team type of player. 22/8 isn't worth max money. Again Hayward getting the max amount($14 mil) he can is a byproduct of being a RFA, not a reflection of his true value.

No one is going to pay Bosh a $20+ mil max deal.

Although you're right about the terms of the deal. A max contract would still send Hayward's contract into $20+ mil in the latter half of his contract. Having him take up a 3rd of your salary cap is idiotic. Bosh isn't worth a true max, but point being, he's worth alot more than Hayward is.