Exactly. Kyrie will stay for at least the time being, just like LeBron did. Cleveland's problem is the same today as it was in 2010, and will be for the forseeable future. It's just not that attractive a place for somebody with options. Even if LeBron went back, that would probably be good enough to get Kyrie to stay long term (unless he wants to be the "man") but you'd still have a problem getting other high level pieces. Instead of worrying about 2014 ad having max space, the Cavs should be building through the draft and making smart trades (like they already did with Speights) in order to create an atmosphere that convinces the homegrown talent to stay. Free agency is fool's gold for the Cavs. The Heat don't have to worry about this. Even if LeBron left, but we kept Wade and Bosh, we'd have no shortage of options for complimentary pieces
Here's what'll happen: LeBron and Bosh will opt out. Wade will stay on his current contract. LeBron and Bosh will then sign new contracts with the Heat.
Wade will opt out too and sign a new deal. He'll make more money that way. Two years is still a long way away. Depending on what happens other changes could be amde.
You're the first one I've seen say Wade won't opt-out, but I tend to agree with you. I realize this looks silly right now, with the efficient season he is having - but I'm not sold on Wade aging particularly well. If he's due $40mil over 2 years and could sign another deal after, it might make more sense than for him to go on the open market. We're 1.5 yrs away from this and who knows where his game will be at by that point. I do wonder if that would make a better case for LeBron and Bosh to stay. As pointed out above - it'll be hard to put a quality team around the Big 3 with the new CBA - so if LeBron thinks Wade will begin to slip during the course of a NEW max deal - he may not want to sign up for another 4 years that might not be at a high level. It all depends on how Wade ages. He's having an extremely efficient season - but I'm not sure he'll be able to keep up on the defensive end that is so important to the Heat's success. (Just wanted to point out I fully recognize he could continue to be a great player and them all signing new maxes will work out extremely well - Wade just doesn't strike me as a player who's talents will age well.)
Yeah - this is a huge problem with Cleveland. I do like the strategy they have taken - and that is to accumulate a ton of draft picks and cap space. This allows them to be huge players on the trade market. If they can trade for a star, they stand a better chance of keeping him than they do signing a star in FA. They have so many 1st rounders over the next few years that they'll either be able to flip those for talent, or use them to add talent as their current guys get expensive. Now, they just need to HIT on those picks. Tristan Thompson finally looks like a decent player, and I like Dion Waiters more than most (his shot selection has improved dramatically) - but those guys aren't enough. Two straight (and looking like possibly 3) drafts with very few star quality players has killed the Cavs - as they stockpiled picks in those drafts.
I'll also say this for the Cavs - they have to toe a very fine line when they DO acquire a star. The minute LeBron made it to Cleveland the media (and really, LeBron himself) were talking about his free agency years. The Cavs had to make panic moves to compete on the short-term which sabotaged their ability to compete on the long-term. They need to find a way to keep Kyrie happy without making short-term moves (like the Wizards have done recently).
All the bad teams are prisoners of the draft. 2003s and 2008s are few and far between. Speaking of 2008 as a Heat fan, my god if Riley had just picked any of the next 4 guys taken instead of Beasley (Mayo, Brook Lopez, Westbrook, Love) how dominant would the Heat be right now. Would we even have had a 2010 plan?
Wade's become a much better shooter. Kobe, Paul Pierce, Duncan, Ginobli, dirk, Gasol, etc., are all playing or have played key roles on championship contenders well into their 30s. The notion that Wade will be washed up at 31 is silly, to me. If the Heat for whatever reason didn't want him, there'd be 29 other teams that would
Wade is older than Bosh and LeBron. He won't make as much as those two in a new contract. Therefore it benefits him to play out his current deal, at least it benefits him financially. If he's not interested in gobbling up every dollar available, then he could also opt out and sign a new, cap-friendly deal. But in terms of most money possible, Wade should stick to his current deal. LeBron and Bosh have two more contracts left in their careers. They have plenty of money left to earn. They can opt out after year 4, sign new deals to bring the Heat under the tax, and keep the band together. This is the real objective of the opt-out clause in all three contracts: to avoid the luxury tax under the new CBA. Riley wins again.
I could definitely see Wade or all 3 of them taking below-market deals. Obviously they've done it before. But the fact that they've done it before could also be a reason they DON'T do it this time. To your point, Wade is only going to get so many more contracts.
the opposite. they improved the team drastically with the trade. that is no pulling of the plug. That is an announcement of being serious about winning it all.
Serious? Seems like nothing more than a salary dump. Prince doesn't give them the shooting they need.
But Daye does. Rudy Gay was awful all year, and is a poor fit in Memphis. Ed Davis IMO, is one of the best kept secrets in that NBA. That completes the best front line in basketball. Tayshaun gives you the same defense (or better) that Gay gives you. So all you really lose is inefficient shooting. I LOVE THE TRADE. MEMPHIS RIPPED OFF the Raptors. Its as if I trade you a 1983 Porsche for a 2012 Malibu. Who really wins in that trade?
Hard not to feel like Toronto just jumped onto the treadmill of mediocrity. They have some nice young pieces - but I'm not sure that Ross / JV have high enough ceilings to take them anywhere better than a 4-5 seed. And even that might be generous.
For toronto, they weren't going anywhere with their current core anyway, and they will never be a player to land somebody of Gay's caliber in FA, so you need to make the move. They gave up Calderon's expiring, Ed Davis (I'll defer to Sec on him as I have not seen him play except against the Heat) for a near star. They need to make some other moves, but they have the look of a playoff team to me next eyar, which is all toronto can hope to be for the time being
I'd rather suck terribly with the hopes of getting a star to build around than put together a team like Toronto's. They're maxed out, talent wise, at a lower-half playoff team, and have little in the ways of assets / cap space to improve. They're the Hawks of the last 5 years, or the Wizards the years before that. They'll be best known for being the team Miami crushed in the first or second round the next few years.
Just about any time you give up the best player in a trade in the NBA you lose unless you get back lottery draft picks which Memphis didnt do. You traded a borderline star, albeit one having a bad year, and got an old Tayshaun Prince and an underachieving Ed Davis back. Davis is a good player but he hasnt even been able to take the starting job from an equally as underachieving Andrea Bargnani. The only area Memphis wins this deal is financially where they dont have to pay a luxury tax next year.
I honestly don't see how Wade/Lebron/Bosh don't come back unless the whole thing absolutely implodes over the duration of their contracts. I mean assuming they win one of the next two (or even both) NBA Titles they have a chance to build a dynasty comparable to the Lakers/Bulls/Celtics in their prime years.
Exactly. Obviously money talks but in reality they will get their money regardless of who they play for. I just don't see how you walk away from cementing a spot in history.... for as long as the NBA exists anyway.
I think it depends on Wade's health / ability to mold his game as he loses explosiveness. If in 1.5 years he hasn't had any major injuries and is still looking like a top-flight player, I think they all re-sign. If he starts to fade, I don't see LeBron saddling himself to 4 years of a declining Wade and limited ability to add anyone else to the team. Of course - if Wade doesn't opt-out and Bosh and LeBron do, they extend that window 2 more years without LeBron risking wasting any years on a team that might not be a title contender.
I hope birdman pans out. He seems very active under the rim. Obviously he has alot of rust and has to get in game shape, but I like what I see so far.
Knicks with their 2nd straight whipping of a crappy team. Not as bad as they did to Sacramento on Saturday evening but they were up by 20-25 most of the game. Nice to see Amare hitting jump hooks and drop step turnarounds. Tyson with his 3rd straight 20 rebound game and Melo doing what Melo does dropping 27 and 7.
Nice to see NY starting to get back on track after a run of injuries. Miami and NY slowly pulling away from the rest of the East...home court will be crucial for the Knicks.
This season has definitely turned into a train wreck. Rubio was great in that 4th quarter tho.. It sucks thinking that this is a lost season already... As much as I want to see them win, it might be tank time... Damn western conference
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/...-Lakers-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-Clippers-020413 He's been absent for a long time, but Bill Reiter cvouldn't resist unleashing his inner Heat hater, so he stands with Woj as very early candidates for Hater/Clown of 2013. Reiter is even worse IMO since he basically just copied what Woj wrote about LeBron and Cleveland but added the "it's likely to happen" without any basis inf act. He didn;t even pretend to have an anonymous source. Bad form Bill. Bad form.
Part of me thinks the media is just playing up this Cleveland thing so they can do another round of 'Cleveland's economy collapses due to LeBron!' stories.
Was just doing some research into Wade developing a jumper and when looking at his '08/'09 season - what the hell happened there? It seems like a decent sized outlier in terms of his shooting from 10+ feet.
I think it's more that they have nothing to talk about. Speculating about the future is always more fun that writing about what's going on right now. What are the stories right now? The Heat Thunder and Spurs are the best teams. Shocker. But additionally it's another round of Miami bashing they can do since they weren't able to get away with it for awhile. First, Reiter's article makes several huge assumptions without anything to back them up. There is no guarantee that the Heat wouldn't pay the tax first of all. Second, there is no guarantee that Wade won't opt out, and I still expect he will. He will absolutely get a 4 for $60 million from somebody. Plus, the continuing diminishment of what Wade is able to do is still comical to me. If Wade were the #1 option on the team he would be putting up numbers comparable to his career bests. Reiter also sloughs off Boash and Wade as though they suck and that Howard or Kyrie Irving are better fits for LeBron. Both notions are silly at this point. Lest Reiter forgot, the Heat just won the title and are one of the favorites again this year. But the biggest assumption that these clowns make, Woj and reiter both, is that the Heat is somehow run by morons who won't do anything between now and 2014 to ensure that LBJ stays and they remain championship contenders. The notion that the Heat won;t make any trades or sign free agents is stupid. The Heat could have plenty of cap space in 2014 if they want it or need it.
He does not understand the new CBA. The new CBA was basically built for Miami to keep their Big Three and continually add pieces.
