NBA Offseason Thread.

[Maclowery]

Okay, I get it. You think its likely that the Bulls, one of the marquee names in the NBA, in the third largest market in the country, a team with enough to spend on two max contracts, a team that already has a top flight star and a terrific role player to build on, are going to strike out in the largest FA supermarket ever. Thanks for clearing that up.

If they miss out on everyone, kudos to you. Guess they should've stuck to middling draft picks hoping for four Rajons in a row. Ill congratulate your approach come next March as the winners of the 2010 sweepstakes are stomping around the league.

The thing is, they already had enough cap space for Lebron. Basically, if they don't sign TWO marquee free agents, then they've squandered the 17th overall pick in the draft, and a pretty good guard........ for what?

alright I give up. Wow. The 17th f'ing pick doesn't matter for anything dude. Good god, I am, done. I give up. Bizarro world socnorb Bulls can keep Heiny and that pick. Jesus dude can't you see what a better team the bulls would be with two of the FAs this year instead of one? Good god, I see what Luke meant. I'm stupified.

[thrill]

Dangling the ability to package another star free agent along with LeBron is part of the requirement for courting him. If you can't sign another max player, the amount of money available for two or three other players is still appealing to LeBron's camp.

Signing Bosh or Stoudemire along with LeBron isn't do or die. LeBron is the do or die. One of the things he is clearly favoring is the ability to bring in another complimentary star in addition to established stars. Hence the Bulls being the leaders in the clubhouse. If socnorb doesn't understand that, I wouldn't waste any more effort trying to explain it to him.

[Socnorb11]

Okay, I get it. You think its likely that the Bulls, one of the marquee names in the NBA, in the third largest market in the country, a team with enough to spend on two max contracts, a team that already has a top flight star and a terrific role player to build on, are going to strike out in the largest FA supermarket ever. Thanks for clearing that up.

If they miss out on everyone, kudos to you. Guess they should've stuck to middling draft picks hoping for four Rajons in a row. Ill congratulate your approach come next March as the winners of the 2010 sweepstakes are stomping around the league.

The thing is, they already had enough cap space for Lebron. Basically, if they don't sign TWO marquee free agents, then they've squandered the 17th overall pick in the draft, and a pretty good guard........ for what?

alright I give up. Wow. The 17th f'ing pick doesn't matter for anything dude. Good god, I am, done. I give up. Bizarro world socnorb Bulls can keep Heiny and that pick. Jesus dude can't you see what a better team the bulls would be with two of the FAs this year instead of one? Good god, I see what Luke meant. I'm stupified.

Relax son. It's just a message board.

[Socnorb11]

Dangling the ability to package another star free agent along with LeBron is part of the requirement for courting him. If you can't sign another max player, the amount of money available for two or three other players is still appealing to LeBron's camp.

Signing Bosh or Stoudemire along with LeBron isn't do or die. LeBron is the do or die. One of the things he is clearly favoring is the ability to bring in another complimentary star in addition to established stars. Hence the Bulls being the leaders in the clubhouse. If socnorb doesn't understand that, I wouldn't waste any more effort trying to explain it to him.

The thing that the Bulls have going for them is that they already have a pretty established core, with Rose and Noah. Add Lebron alone to that group, and I think they become a force. Obviously another piece to the puzzle would be ideal, but I agree with you that Lebron is the key.

[vinsanity]

Dangling the ability to package another star free agent along with LeBron is part of the requirement for courting him. If you can't sign another max player, the amount of money available for two or three other players is still appealing to LeBron's camp.

Signing Bosh or Stoudemire along with LeBron isn't do or die. LeBron is the do or die. One of the things he is clearly favoring is the ability to bring in another complimentary star in addition to established stars. Hence the Bulls being the leaders in the clubhouse. If socnorb doesn't understand that, I wouldn't waste any more effort trying to explain it to him.

I'm still not convinced he's leaving Cleveland.

I think used the Mauer example earlier. Everyone knew he was jumping from Minnesota and going to NY.

[lukethedrifter]

Fun stuff from Stephen A Smith's twitter page

I just reported on my show that LeBron James is heading to S. Beach -- with Chris Bosh -- to team with Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley. Here's the ..

@AndrewSmithEsq I don't GUESS with news of this magnitude, sir. I'm better off keeping my mouth shut and letting someone else break it.

@RonHotDawgz654 Wish we could get the STFU, dawg. But if you have a job and you get a paycheck to comment on such things, u wouldn't STFU.

@illquittomorrow Whatever you say. I've got 17 years of guessing pretty damn good, so I'll go with that.

@philprimato I have a damn radio show. What the hell would you have me do? Give the news then disappear?

@CMHan15 Thank you for your comments, sir. Much appreciated....from someone who actually does know [expletive], I assume.

[thrill]

The latest scuttlebutt from Chris Broussard, Dan Bernstein and a bunch of others is that LeBron to the Bulls is pretty much done. What they're working on now is whether the running mate will be Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh.

Bulls was JJ, LeBron wants Bosh.

I’ve gotta be honest, Dan Bernstein reporting it is awesome because that guy is a stone cold realist and if he leans one way, it’s as a pessimist. Plus he has good sources within the organization. This is the first time I've allowed myself to really think it's going to happen. If he’s saying it, there’s truth to it. I think Joe Johnson maximizes LeBron’s value in the near future. While he’s still an elite player for the next three years, his ability to drain open three’s will open up a ton of space for LeBron and D Rose to operate. When they draw double teams in the post, he’ll be open for the three. It’d be awesome. If LeBron wants Bosh, though, I’d have no problem signing him instead. He’ll be more valuable for the length of the contract than Johnson, but I feel like his game would get lost in the shuffle of Rose and LeBron slashing. If we do sign him, they need someone to knock down three’s, so they should make a run at JJ Reddick. Hopefully Reinsdorf would go over the luxury tax for him. That team would win title after title, in my opinion.

[lukethedrifter]

But Stephen A Smith reports LeBron is headed to Miami.

[MrCrowesGarden]

But Stephen A Smith reports

Not true.

[Socnorb11]

The latest scuttlebutt from Chris Broussard, Dan Bernstein and a bunch of others is that LeBron to the Bulls is pretty much done. What they're working on now is whether the running mate will be Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh.

Bulls was JJ, LeBron wants Bosh.

I’ve gotta be honest, Dan Bernstein reporting it is awesome because that guy is a stone cold realist and if he leans one way, it’s as a pessimist. Plus he has good sources within the organization. This is the first time I've allowed myself to really think it's going to happen. If he’s saying it, there’s truth to it. I think Joe Johnson maximizes LeBron’s value in the near future. While he’s still an elite player for the next three years, his ability to drain open three’s will open up a ton of space for LeBron and D Rose to operate. When they draw double teams in the post, he’ll be open for the three. It’d be awesome. If LeBron wants Bosh, though, I’d have no problem signing him instead. He’ll be more valuable for the length of the contract than Johnson, but I feel like his game would get lost in the shuffle of Rose and LeBron slashing. If we do sign him, they need someone to knock down three’s, so they should make a run at JJ Reddick. Hopefully Reinsdorf would go over the luxury tax for him. That team would win title after title, in my opinion.

I agree that Johnson/Rose/Lebron/Noah would be almost unstoppable.

Be be careful about what Bernstein, Broussard, etc. are saying. Even if they have "sources" within the organization, that means nothing...... because the organization hasn't had a chance to talk to Lebron yet. Unless they have sources within Lebron's entourage, then they don't have any more viable information than anybody else. Same goes for Stephen A. Smith. Lebron gets to make this decision...... not the Bulls (or the Knicks or the Heat, etc.). It's Lebron's call. Unless somebody knows what he's thinking, then everything is just speculation.