Your Free Agent Predictions

• gibby08

  

  Lebron & DWade-Chicago
  Bosh-New Jersey
  Dirk-Miami
  A'mare-New York
• Crimson_Streak

  Lebron and d Wade both can't sign with Chicago they don't have enough cap room to sign both
• sleeper

  

  Lebron - Cleveland
  Wade - Miami
  Bosh - NY
  JJ - Chicago
  Amare - Phoenix
  Parker - Spurs
  
  I don't think it'll be that exciting of a summer. Most will stay except Bosh and JJ, they are gone for sure.
• gibby08

  

  Shaq is also rumored to be very interested in signing with NJ
  
  Jerry Colangalo will do whatever it takes to get Lebron and Wade
• Trueblue23

  

  gibby08 wrote: Shaq is also rumored to be very interested in signing with NJ
  
  Jerry Colangalo will do whatever it takes to get Lebron and Wade

  No he's not. He said he wouldn't comment on the Nets because it was too early. SMH.
  
  Shaquille O'Neal said after the Cavaliers were bounced from the playoffs that he was not going to retire and was hoping play three to four more years. O'Neal is a native of Newark, New Jersey and was asked if he'd play for the Nets. They are moving to the Prudential Center while their new home in Brooklyn is being built.
  
  "I've got a lot of options," O'Neal told the New York Post. "We'll just see. I still got to sit down and look at all my options. I don't want to comment on [the Nets]. It's too early."
  
  O'Neal wouldn't rule out looking at the Knicks, however it didn't work out well for him in Phoenix when Mike D'Antoni was the head coach of the Suns, so signing with the team is unlikely.
• End of Line

  

  sleeper wrote: Lebron - Cleveland
  Wade - Miami
  Bosh - NY
  JJ - Chicago
  Amare - Phoenix
  Parker - Spurs
  
  I don't think it'll be that exciting of a summer. Most will stay except Bosh and JJ, they are gone for sure.

  Pretty much sums it up right there.
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  Trueblue23 wrote:
  
  And now LeBron..
  
  IMO, LeBron will sign with New Jersey. He is Jay-Z's good friend, would have an owner willing to do anything to make an impact in this sport, and a good young team. The Nets already have Brooke Lopez and Devin Harris, they'll have a Top 3 pick in the draft, and they'd have LeBron.

  +1 ... yes, I pull for the Nets, so I am a bit biased. I keep hearing people dismiss Jay-Z's influence, but I think it will pay huge dividends in his recruiting. New billionaire owner, a soon-to-be-built gem of arena in Brooklyn, and the room to sign two superstars ... oh yeah, and possibly the #1 pick in the draft. Granted, he will have to play in Newark for 2 years, which may sway him away ... we shall see.
• hoops23

  

  jpake1 wrote:

  LTrain23 wrote: Jpake, you're being a homer lol.
  
  LeBron and Wade plan on cementing their own legacies for now. Maybe at the tail end of their careers, but now? Don't see it happening one bit.
  
  I'd be SHOCKED if LeBron went to Miami.
  
  1) Cleveland
  2) New Jersey
  3) New York
  
  
  
  
  4) Chicago
  
  IMO.
  
  The reason I have Chicago so low is because I jsut don't see him going to Chicago.. Not to play under MJ's legacy. Again, it's an ego thing. He'll NEVER live up to it in Chicago. You'll have him and Rose both wanting to pound the ball at the top of the key for 20 seconds.
  
  New Jersey has Brook Lopez and a lottery pick. I'll laugh if their pick fall towards the end of the lottery though. But other than that, the roster isn't too impressive with me.
  
  New York has the city on it's side, but not much else. In fact, I'll let Chris Broussard explain that one for me...
  

  LeBron doesn't need you, New York
  Not all stars pine for NYC or the Knicks -- and the King is plenty big, as is
  
  The notion that every player -- or at least every star player -- in the NBA wants to play in New York tickles me.
  
  In the early 2000s, while a Knicks beat writer for the New York Times, I remember being baffled because many of my colleagues and readers thought every skilled free agent was headed to New York -- even though all the Knicks could offer such max-salary talent was the mid-level exception. They thought Grant Hill would leave Detroit for the Knicks (for less coin) and Chris Webber would spurn Sacramento for the Big Apple (and chump change).
  
  Now, New York assumes it's getting LeBron James. At least the Knicks actually have the salary cap space to pull this off. But while New York has a decent shot at LeBron, the idea that LeBron -- or any other great player -- needs New York or harbors this intense desire to play there is a joke.
  
  LeBron, an endorsement king, is already the face of the NBA despite being ringless in tiny Cleveland. The Internet and globalization have largely made where a player plays irrelevant in regards to marketing and popularity. So to suggest LeBron needs New York is nuts. The only thing that can make him bigger is a title, not a town.
  
  New York is not the center, err, mecca of the basketball universe, as advertised. Sure, every player who traipses through the Garden while helping his team wax the Knicks praises the city, telling the local media he'd love to play in New York. But many free agents, not wanting to burn any bridges, do that in every palatable NBA city. Yet in New York it becomes a back page and hysteria ensues.
  
  And where did this idea that the NBA needs the Knicks to be good come from? (Of course, having a contender in the nation's biggest market would be nice, but the league seemed to do pretty well in the 1980s and 2000s when the Knicks were doormats.)
  
  LeBron James at a Knicks news conference: Don't assume it'll happen this summer.
  That idea led the conspiratorially minded to think David Stern would fix the lottery to make sure Yao Ming and then James ended up in New York. How'd that theory work out?
  
  Don't get me wrong: I love New York. It's a fabulous city. But that doesn't hold much sway when the best basketball players are deciding where they want to play, especially when someone else can pay more.
  
  Look at last summer. Steve Nash, who lives in New York in the offseason and owes his hallowed status in the game to Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, toyed with the Knicks but re-signed with Phoenix. Ditto for Hill, who took less money to return to the Suns, and Jason Kidd, who seemed to use the Knicks to get a richer deal from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
  
  I did not grow up in New York. Neither did most NBA players. And for people who don't grow up in New York, the Knicks are not on their radar. Growing up as a basketball fan, the Knicks were about the 13th team I thought of when it came to the NBA. If I had been an NBA-caliber player, playing for the Knicks would have been the furthest thing from my mind.
  
  I was digging the Lakers, the Sixers, the Bulls, the Pistons, the Spurs -- you know, teams that won. The Celtics, Rockets and Blazers were higher on my list of good franchises than the Knicks.
  
  Why should anyone outside of New York have been a Knicks fan? They were horrible in the '80s, Michael Jordan's punching bag in the '90s and an embarrassment in the 2000s.
  
  When the modern Knicks did reach the Finals in '94, it became a slugfest, Exhibit A for non-artistic, unwatchable basketball.
  
  Even New York's rep for producing great players is overblown. First of all, there only a few recognizable players in the league who are from New York City -- Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Sebastian Telfair, not to mention Stephon Marbury (just to name a few). And many of them are viewed as underachieving or troubled.
  
  So why in the world would today's young stars grow up dreaming of playing in New York?
  
  Sure, guys love New York, but it has more to do with its hip-hop roots than its hoop roots -- and even its place in hip-hop has waned over the years.
  
  And before you get hyped about LeBron or any other player wearing a Yankees cap, realize that boys and men all over the country are wearing them. Though LeBron is a fan, it's a fashion statement -- like Jay-Z said, he "made the Yankees cap more famous than the Yankees did" -- that often has nothing to do with New York.
  
  I was talking with a couple of NBA guys last year, one a current star and the other a high-profile former Knick. We were talking about where LeBron might go as a free agent. Both insisted he'd stay in Cleveland.
  
  This surprised me because I expected the former Knick to push for New York. But he made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that the only reason to go to the Knicks was if they were paying more money.
  
  "What about playing in the Garden, and the fans, and the prestige of being a Knick?" I asked.
  
  He laughed, then mumbled a curse, then said LeBron should stay in Cleveland.
  
  So much for that Knicks mystique.
  
  You also must realize that Madison Square Garden, the World's Most Famous Arena, is not exactly helping the Knicks' cause. I've heard players, executives and coaches trash the Garden as a dump.
  
  And compared to the new, state-of-the-art arenas that most every other team has, it is pretty unimpressive. Quite frankly, it seems dark and dingy. (This is not lost on Knicks ownership: To its credit, it's spending roughly $800 million on renovations that will be completed in 2014).
  
  The crowd can definitely get hyped, but the only real draw there is that famous actors, actresses and rappers are often in the front row. Otherwise, to most 20- and 30-somethings, it's the place where MJ dropped a double-nickle and where Reggie Miller burned the Knicks in eight seconds.
  
  This may sound like an anti-Knicks column, but I choose to think of it as a reality check. New Yorkers need to realize that nobody's checking for the Knicks; not like the Lakers, the Bulls, the Celtics and others.
  
  The arrogant claims that the life's dream of a kid born in Akron, Ohio -- or Dallas (Chris Bosh), or Chicago (Dwyane Wade) -- is to play for the Knicks just makes you look foolish and out of touch.
  
  Like one of your native sons, Mark Jackson, would say, "You're better than that."
  
  If LeBron comes, more power to you. Enjoy him and support him. And if he brings New York the title, or titles, it's been waiting 37 years for, then maybe, just maybe, the Knicks will become a team youngsters throughout America grow up dreaming of playing for.

  http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/columns/story?columnist=broussard_chris&id=5185810

  Haha, I'm being a homer? That's rich, coming from you since you were one all offseason and during the season with the Cavs. After this year and all the homer BS you spit out, I have a hard time putting any weight into your thoughts about the NBA. He'll either go to Miami or he won't. He'll either stay in Cleveland or he won't. After choking two postseasons in a row, and being FAR from a championship team, with nearly no great assets, expirings to put you way under the cap, and aging players, one could say that you indeed made the homer pick of him saying. BTW, you talk to those guys much? If you've listened at all, it's winning that is important to them right now-- not their legacies. They're arguably the top 2 players in the league-- if they put their heads together, I think their legacies will speak for themselves. It's been seven years, LeBron's been on his own, and what the fuck does he have to show for it? In 7 years I think he's learned he cannot do it himself. Nobody can in this league. What's going to change in Cleveland? He has to hope for a trade and hope this win actually works, unlike all the other attempts. Or, he could go elsewhere with another star and give it a try for a few years.

  
  First of all, I was fucking with you... Notice the "lol" before the statement? I didn't think it'd be hard to see. Obviously you're not a homer when you're a lesser version of SQ. SQ is a LeBron fan, where he goes SQ goes. You're pretty much a Wade fan, but claim you like the Heat.. However, you also said you'd cheer for the team that Wade goes to.. Not me, I love LeBron in Cleveland, but if he leaves then oh well.. I'm Cleveland all the way.
  
  Secondly, I'm not that big of a homer. Obviously I root hard for my team and expect them to do great, why wouldn't I with the talent we had? Stop being ignorant.
  Seriously, you think I give a shit HOW MUCH WEIGHT you put into what I say? I couldn't care the fuck less about you or your opinion either.
  
  And no shit he either stays or leaves, who would have thought of that statement?
• Trueblue23

  

  BigAppleBuckeye wrote:

  Trueblue23 wrote:
  
  And now LeBron..
  
  IMO, LeBron will sign with New Jersey. He is Jay-Z's good friend, would have an owner willing to do anything to make an impact in this sport, and a good young team. The Nets already have Brooke Lopez and Devin Harris, they'll have a Top 3 pick in the draft, and they'd have LeBron.

  +1 ... yes, I pull for the Nets, so I am a bit biased. I keep hearing people dismiss Jay-Z's influence, but I think it will pay huge dividends in his recruiting. New billionaire owner, a soon-to-be-built gem of arena in Brooklyn, and the room to sign two superstars ... oh yeah, and possibly the #1 pick in the draft. Granted, he will have to play in Newark for 2 years, which may sway him away ... we shall see.

  I think that may actually help a little bit. Say the Nets do draft Wall and trade Harris for another starter, they still won't be contenders next year. The time left in Newark would allow them to gel and get better. Could you imagine how big of a legend LeBron would be if he brought a Championship to NYC during the Nets 1st year in Brooklyn?
• 2quik4u

  

  mbenga to the heat, gets them another title
• Trueblue23

  

  LOL, but not really.
• Al Capone

  No way Lebron stays in Cleveland,especially now that his teammate is banging his mommy. hahaha
• thedynasty1998

  

  BigAppleBuckeye wrote:

  Trueblue23 wrote:
  
  And now LeBron..
  
  IMO, LeBron will sign with New Jersey. He is Jay-Z's good friend, would have an owner willing to do anything to make an impact in this sport, and a good young team. The Nets already have Brooke Lopez and Devin Harris, they'll have a Top 3 pick in the draft, and they'd have LeBron.

  +1 ... yes, I pull for the Nets, so I am a bit biased. I keep hearing people dismiss Jay-Z's influence, but I think it will pay huge dividends in his recruiting. New billionaire owner, a soon-to-be-built gem of arena in Brooklyn, and the room to sign two superstars ... oh yeah, and possibly the #1 pick in the draft. Granted, he will have to play in Newark for 2 years, which may sway him away ... we shall see.

  I completely agree with this. To me, New York would shock me, as would Chicago (only because it's Jordan's house).
  
  New Jersey seems like the most logical. You have the new owner, new arena and his boy Jay Z is already there. They can sign someone else and team them up with Harris and Brook Lopez. That's four pieces already in place, and then you go into the draft and even if they fail to get the top pick, they could come out of the draft with someone like Demarcus Cousins who helps immediately as well.
  
  Just a lot to like in New Jersey.
• jpake1

  

  Actually, it was after the statement. I took that as you laughing about thinking I was a homer because of my post. If you were joking, most common would people put jk or something like that. Hell yeah I'm a Wade fan-- I'll root for him hard no matter where he goes; he's my favorite player. I'll root hard for the Heat without or without him because they're my favorite team. Sorry I won't be a bitter Cleveland fool like you and hold a grudge against LBJ because he broke your little boy heart by not winning a ring and staying. Just like a typical Cleveland fan.. on their nuts when they're around, fuck them when they leave.
  
  You were most definitely a homer. You had some pretty arrogant and cocky posts throughout the year; just like last year. It's perfectly fine to root hard for you team and think they can win, but tip your cap to others and don't act like you can't be touched.
  
  I think you care enough to you had to respond and have a pussy fit about it. Don't act like you don't care, if you didn't you wouldn't have said a thing. I care enough to type a 2min post about it. Whether you care your not, a lot of your credibility has been lost with me. It's fine to be wrong on predictions and stuff like that, we all are. You were just one of those cocky/arrogant fans all season long that looked pretty dumb come the end of the year, just like last year.
  
  Yea no shit he either stays or leaves, that's my way of saying it's anybody's guess where he goes; and as this point in time there are really no homer picks when it comes to the handful of teams like Chicago, NY, NJ, Miami, and Cleveland.