[flamesbball84]

Does anybody else feel like Bosh is coming off as a 3rd rate player as a result of his begging the LeBron to be his sidekick.

And does LeBron realize that his legacy will be that of a 2nd tier star if he can't win a title without riding the coattails of D-Wade if he goes to the Heat?

Jordan couldn't win a title without Pippen. Kobe couldn't without Shaq and then Pau. Somehow I don't think Jordan and Kobe are considered 2nd tier stars.

neither of those guys rode the others coattails either...

Kobe didn't ride the coattails of Shaq? That's news to me. Everyone knows Shaq was the best player on that team [up until like his last two years when he was beginning to fade], as shown by the 2000 NBA MVP. Also the key reason for the Lakers three-peat from 2000-2002 as he was named the final MVP each year.

And whose to say Lebron would be riding the coattails of Wade? Lebron would be the best player on the team. Not his fault he needs a guy like Wade to help win a title, not going to win a title with the supporting cast in Cleveland, not even Jordan would win the title with those teammates.

[jcmanson]

Wade has been the best player on the US national team for the past several years.

Wade is the king of Miami.

It would be Wade's team.

[prototype]

Rumor has it - Miami done deal...

[jcmanson]

Rumor has it - Miami done deal...

We'll see. He meets with them today.

[jcmanson]

Just had dinner w @dwadeofficial. Great way to end day 1 of #freeagency although it feels like someone is missing....

[flamesbball84]

Brian Windhorst wrote on Twitter that LeBron James is interested in New Jersey's offer, but didn't appear to be too impressed by New York's presentation.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... &ft=137386

[flamesbball84]

Dwyane Wade said after meeting with the Knicks that he's "intrigued" with their offer.
Every time Wade meets with another team and makes comments like this, the Heat likely grow a little bit more irritated. All indications are still that Wade will return to the Heat, but he'll probably continue to meet with other teams just in case Miami is unable to land any other big names.

Amare Stoudemire and the Knicks are close to agreeing on a five-year, max contract.
This comes as no surprise, as we posted similar news late on Thursday night. At this point, it would be shocking if Amare doesn't land in New York, which should help the Knicks land a second big-named free agent.

[LUconn]

LeBron was not impressed by New York's presentation??

http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/201 ... n-dollars/

The Knicks just finished pitching LeBron James. Their main selling point: You could make a billion dollars playing in New York. You can't earn anything close to that anywhere else.

To make the case, they commissioned a study from marketing consultant Interbrand (See the powerpoint below--hit "full screen" to view.) that says LeBron could earn close to $1 billion over his lifetime in salary and endorsements if he makes Madison Square Garden his permanent home--their high-end estimate sees him earning as much as $2 billion. That outshines the estimated $700 million he’d likely earn in Cleveland, the $690 million in Chicago, and $600 million in Miami.

It’s a crafty attack that goes right after their rivals' best case for nabbing LeBron: that his brand is so internationally recognizable, where he plays has little influence on his overall earnings. In fact, the same study claims that any generic free agent could see his lifetime earnings jump 30% by signing with the Knicks.


To come up with the numbers for the Knicks, Interbrand says it ran through 50,000 computer models of a potential LeBron career, using more than 200 variables like individual performance, fan demographics and championships. The report is light on the details of its methodology, but comes to this conclusion: LeBron has a 50% chance of earning at least $1 billion in New York. In Cleveland and Chicago the odds fall to 1%. The study put a 0% chance of LeBron making $1 billion playing for Miami.

If he is not taking that seriously, he's quite possibly the dumbest athlete I've ever heard of.

[flamesbball84]

LeBron was not impressed by New York's presentation??

What the new NJ owner and Jay-Z was able to offer was even more than that.

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2010/0 ... me_as.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/net ... QAgk72fNBJ

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... nets063010

UPDATE: From ESPN's Chad Ford: "How did it go? A source close to the Nets said their meeting with LeBron was 'tremendous.' How tremendous? 'Front-runner tremendous.'

"The Nets continue to project confidence that they have the inside track on LeBron. If they get him, sources say they have a deal in place to move Kris Humphries to clear additional cap space to make a max offer to Chris Bosh or another free agent of his choosing."

---
The Nets are the first team to meet with LeBron James on Thursday.

According to the New York Post, his buddy and part owner of the team, Jay-Z, has some ideas up his sleeve for James.

"Hip-hop mogul and longtime James friend Jay-Z will propose James' own clothing line plus a new fragrance, as well as opportunities in entertainment," Fred Kerber wrote.

We noted Thursday that new billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov will talk of his successes around the globe and try to convince James he can become a global icon with the Nets.

While the Nets certainly have an interesting tag team to throw at James -- two guys who can't be ignored -- remember, the Bulls will also be talking business and marketing opportunities, as will other teams.

So while the Nets' duo is certainly a unique, tantalizing combo, it isn't the only one speaking to James' global icon aspirations.

And that is why the NEts are a serious contender and a much better contender than the Knicks. The Nets just have to make one more move to be able to sign two max players. If not, they can get Lebron and one of the next tiered guys like Carlos Boozer and David Lee. The Nets will instantly have a better starting lineup than the HEat would have even if the HEat signed the big three - The Heat big three won't be able to compete with the lineup of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Lebron, Boozer/Bosh/Lee, and Lopez and the Nets will actually have a semblance of a bench with Terrence Williams, Derrick Favors, Damion James, and Kris Humphries (although Humphries might be dealt to clear cap space).

[flamesbball84]

Dwyane Wade will reportedly meet with the Bulls for a second time on Friday night, with the possibility of a partnership with LeBron James to join him in Chicago on the agenda.
If Wade can't get LeBron to come with him, Chris Bosh could join him instead. While Wade and LeBron want to play together, it sounds like LeBron doesn't want to play for a gutted Heat team, and now it appears Wade may not want to either. At this point, the Heat are going to have to start thinking about damage control, as Wade is clearly beginning to taunt the franchise. His latest note on Twitter sums it up: "Immma start a website called what little do they know.com..l2ms" And in case you're wondering, l2ms means 'laughing to myself.' No one in Miami is going to be laughing if Wade and LeBron end up in Chicago.

Not looking good for the Heat right now...

[vastrightwinger]

The fans down here in Miami are in panic mode right now. They have been doing all sorts of things (billboards, parties, commercials) trying to convince Wade to stay. They fact of the matter is, they were banking on being able to get LeBron and Bosh or Amare. Since it looks like they may not get any of them, Wade doesn't view the Heat as worth it. You can never count out Pat Reilly so until all the ink is dry, it is not over.

[01LUGrad]

If the Bulls can somehow get the 3 amigos to sign (which would require shipping Deng..who cares?), the following lineup would look pretty nasty:

Rose/Wade/James/Bosh/Noah

[flamesbball84]

If the Bulls can somehow get the 3 amigos to sign (which would require shipping Deng..who cares?), the following lineup would look pretty nasty:

Rose/Wade/James/Bosh/Noah

They don't have the money now as it is to even sign two max salary players, shipping out Deng won't give them the money to net three max players since he obviously can't make more than the max.

Face it, no team is getting Wade, James, and Bosh. It's not happening, guaranteed. The only three teams that would have any chance to do that would be Miami, Cleveland, and Toronto because they could sign two of them and then retain the bird rights to their current player to go over the cap [because you can't go over the cap to sign another team's player unless it's for the minimum or a veteran exemption or something like that]. None of them have the money to sign the other two to begin with.

[Schfourteenteen]

Even if they could - there's a realization that any team with that much money tied to three players wil have 0 talent beyond them.

I'm putting my $3 savings account on LBJ going to New York. Maybe even as a Net.

[flamesbball84]

Even if they could - there's a realization that any team with that much money tied to three players wil have 0 talent beyond them.

I'm putting my $3 savings account on LBJ going to New York. Maybe even as a Net.

I think there is close to a zero chance he is a Knick if he ends up in New York, apparently just about everything in the meeting turned him off, including the first impression. Entire presentation the Knicks gave him focused on how he could become a billionaire, the Nets offered that and more.

[Th3rd]

I'm still holding with what I said after LeBron took off his Cavs jersey after the Eastern Conference Finals... He will be wearing the New Jersey Nets uniform

I could see the Nets landing a big man (i.e. Dirk, Boozer, or Bosh) as well

[flamesfilmguy]

Joe Johnson is staying put. Great..... (laced with heavy sarcasm)

[flamesbball84]

The Cavaliers and Bulls are the teams most likely to get LeBron James, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, followed by the Nets and Knicks.
The Knicks made a final push when they met with LeBron's representatives on Sunday, presumably detailing what the addition of Amare Stoudemire means for the franchise. LeBron has been vague about when he'll announce his decision, but it won't be until at least Wednesday evening.

Considering Bosh wants to play the same place as Lebron [hence why he will wait on Lebron's decision], this isn't looking good for the Heat because I highly doubt Wade goes back to Miami, unless Miami is able to get in late in the game on some of the other guys like a Boozer, for example.

[flamesbball84]

update from chad ford on d wade

"A source close to Wade told me that other factors, both basketball and personal, have Wade seriously considering leaving Miami for Chicago. Wade had dinner with Chris Bosh in Chicago on Thursday night and according to the source, one topic of discussion was the advantages of playing with the Bulls versus the Heat ... Wade also has multiple ties to Chicago -- a home and family, including his mother, a pastor whose church in the city was purchased for her by her son. But far and way the most important consideration is his two children Zaire and Zion. Wade is recently divorced and the custody of his children is still up in the air. There are concerns that, given the frequent travel tied to being a NBA player, he won't be able to spend quality time with his children during the season if he doesn't stay in Chicago. Wade alluded to as much in an interview with Channel 5 in Chicago on Saturday. At the end of the day, it could be his family that makes the decision for him."

[flamesbball84]

In this historic summer of NBA uncertainty, one thing is clear to Mikhail Prokhorov: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will play for the Miami Heat next season.

Another of Prokhorov's beliefs is that if LeBron James joins Wade and Bosh in Miami, The King could win "two or three titles" but "diminish the LeBron brand" because he'd be winning with such a power-packed lineup.

[RubberMallet]

i think wade/bosh makes chicago more complete than just lbj. obviously i'd rather have lbj than wade because rose will eventually step in to the wade roll. that being said, the bulls have dumped enough to grab 2 max contracts and also have the revenue to support it. they better do something. heck i'd be happy with wade/boozer.

[jcmanson]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5360134

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are teaming up together on the Miami Heat, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

ESPN's Shelley Smith also reported the pending move through independent sources.

Whether LeBron James, the kingpin of this summer's celebrated free agent class, will join them remains to be seen. James will announce his decision Thursday night at 9 ET during a one-hour special on ESPN.

Wade and Bosh are expected to announce their decision on Wednesday, according to the source.

[LUconn]

I don't even like the NBA, LeBron, or the Knicks, but I really want him to play for them. They just seem like they fit each other.

[LUconn]

I just read manson's post and LOL @ a one hour special on ESPN.

[RubberMallet]

isn't that horribly stupid?...but espn really doesn't have a choice does it? its all they've talked about for 2 weeks.

it looks like chicago got bamboozled...which doesn't surprise me...