Adrian Wojnarowski - LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) are expected to share a conference call on Wednesday to discuss free agency and try to move closer to finalizing their decisions, a league source with knowledge of the plan told Yahoo! Sports.
The three players are motivated to reach resolutions and make their choices public by Thursday, several sources told Yahoo! Sports. The stars and their agents with CAA continued on Tuesday to churn through numerous machinations and possibilities.
“Everything is still in play,” the source said.
James has the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets as his top three choices, sources said. Still, Cleveland has reemerged as the leader to keep James and Cavaliers officials are confident the two-time MVP will choose to re-sign with them.
The three players have strongly discussed playing together in Miami, and Bosh and Wade are considering playing together there as well as in Chicago or New Jersey, sources said. Wade hasn’t committed to re-signing in Miami and is still strongly considering the Bulls. He is intrigued with the talent that would surround him with the Bulls, as well as family considerations that would benefit from proximity to his ex-wife and children in Illinois.
Chicago and New Jersey need to make deals to eliminate more salary off their cap to accommodate two maximum contract players.
Showing posts with label NBA FREE AGENTS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA FREE AGENTS. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Denver Nuggets Might Trade Carmello Anthony?
NBA free-agency frenzy has left the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony with leverage to ask for a better supporting cast. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)
The Nuggets are pressing Carmelo Anthony for a long-term commitment, because if he declines a three-year, $65 million contract extension now on the table, the team must consider trading its leading scorer.
Trade Melo? Would the Nuggets really part ways with a 26-year-old forward in the prime of his NBA career? Denver might not have any choice.
With an eye on how megastars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have held the league's competitive balance in their fickle hands and turned this summer's free-agency period into a three-ring circus, the Nuggets seem determined not to let Anthony do the same in Denver.
While their offer of a hefty contract extension proves the Nuggets hope Anthony will remain the face of the franchise for years to come, the team is prepared to trade Melo rather than let him walk as a free agent next summer, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
At a salary of $17 million, Anthony is committed to play for Denver during the upcoming season. But here's the rub. Anthony can opt out of his contract next summer, and free agency might appear all the more tempting after seeing the league-wide groveling James has instigated.
As a proactive move, the Nuggets have quietly tried to secure the services of Anthony through 2015 before losers in the pursuit of this talent-laden class of free agents can begin dreaming of Melo.
While a city of Broncomaniacs has obsessed with the contract status of football stars Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey, the negotiations between the Nuggets and Anthony might have already reached a more critical stage, because management of the local NBA franchise has shown it is unafraid to make trades involving a marquee player.
At a time when pro basketball superstars have never wielded more power in how league rosters are built, it seems to me Anthony must apply whatever leverage he can to determine to what extent the Nuggets are willing to improve his
Post Poll - Melo's future?
With one year left on his contract, what should the Nuggets do with Carmelo Anthony?
Keep him, by any means. He cannot be replaced. You need an all-star to win an NBA title. Keep negotiating to the end.
Trade him if he won't sign this summer. Better to cut and run than be left holding the bag, like some teams this summer.
Wait and see. Don't play games. Contract extension is best for both sides. Plenty of time next year to work it out.
supporting cast.
Often treated as a bigger star on the road than at home, Melo could find riches and live like a king in almost any NBA city from New York to Los Angeles. He genuinely likes Denver, but at this point in his career, what should motivate Anthony is finding the situation that gives him the best chance to win a ring. I have advocated he not sign any deal with the Nuggets unless the team can give assurances help is on the way.
Why? These negotiations are not really about money so much as the talks force both Anthony and the Nuggets to examine if they can live happily ever after.
You can bet on this: Although Stan Kroenke craves a championship, the Nuggets owner is a tough negotiator who isn't going to play a game of my wallet is bigger against Mark Cuban in Dallas or Mikhail Prokhorov in New Jersey.
It's hard to envision any business run by Kroenke allowing an asset as valuable as Anthony to walk away for nothing. Either the I's will be dotted and the T's will be crossed on a new deal with the Nuggets long before the trade deadline next winter or you can color Melo gone from Denver.
Unwilling to use coach George Karl's battle with cancer as an excuse, Nuggets management saw the team's first-round flameout in the playoffs as proof the current roster is unlikely to win a championship.
With guard Chauncey Billups approaching his 34th birthday, forward Kenyon Martin facing recovery from yet another knee surgery and the
Share Your Analysis
Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla fields your feedback. Look for it in Kickin' It With Kiz on Sundays.
distinct possibility of labor strife interrupting the 2011-12 season, it's not too early for everybody to begin long-term planning and ask a tough question:
Does Denver have a future as a serious NBA contender with a nucleus of Anthony, promising guard Ty Lawson and frustrating center Nene?
Without a solid commitment from Anthony, the Nuggets might feel as if they have no choice except to blow up the roster and start over.
The Nuggets are pressing Carmelo Anthony for a long-term commitment, because if he declines a three-year, $65 million contract extension now on the table, the team must consider trading its leading scorer.
Trade Melo? Would the Nuggets really part ways with a 26-year-old forward in the prime of his NBA career? Denver might not have any choice.
With an eye on how megastars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have held the league's competitive balance in their fickle hands and turned this summer's free-agency period into a three-ring circus, the Nuggets seem determined not to let Anthony do the same in Denver.
While their offer of a hefty contract extension proves the Nuggets hope Anthony will remain the face of the franchise for years to come, the team is prepared to trade Melo rather than let him walk as a free agent next summer, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
At a salary of $17 million, Anthony is committed to play for Denver during the upcoming season. But here's the rub. Anthony can opt out of his contract next summer, and free agency might appear all the more tempting after seeing the league-wide groveling James has instigated.
As a proactive move, the Nuggets have quietly tried to secure the services of Anthony through 2015 before losers in the pursuit of this talent-laden class of free agents can begin dreaming of Melo.
While a city of Broncomaniacs has obsessed with the contract status of football stars Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey, the negotiations between the Nuggets and Anthony might have already reached a more critical stage, because management of the local NBA franchise has shown it is unafraid to make trades involving a marquee player.
At a time when pro basketball superstars have never wielded more power in how league rosters are built, it seems to me Anthony must apply whatever leverage he can to determine to what extent the Nuggets are willing to improve his
Post Poll - Melo's future?
With one year left on his contract, what should the Nuggets do with Carmelo Anthony?
Keep him, by any means. He cannot be replaced. You need an all-star to win an NBA title. Keep negotiating to the end.
Trade him if he won't sign this summer. Better to cut and run than be left holding the bag, like some teams this summer.
Wait and see. Don't play games. Contract extension is best for both sides. Plenty of time next year to work it out.
supporting cast.
Often treated as a bigger star on the road than at home, Melo could find riches and live like a king in almost any NBA city from New York to Los Angeles. He genuinely likes Denver, but at this point in his career, what should motivate Anthony is finding the situation that gives him the best chance to win a ring. I have advocated he not sign any deal with the Nuggets unless the team can give assurances help is on the way.
Why? These negotiations are not really about money so much as the talks force both Anthony and the Nuggets to examine if they can live happily ever after.
You can bet on this: Although Stan Kroenke craves a championship, the Nuggets owner is a tough negotiator who isn't going to play a game of my wallet is bigger against Mark Cuban in Dallas or Mikhail Prokhorov in New Jersey.
It's hard to envision any business run by Kroenke allowing an asset as valuable as Anthony to walk away for nothing. Either the I's will be dotted and the T's will be crossed on a new deal with the Nuggets long before the trade deadline next winter or you can color Melo gone from Denver.
Unwilling to use coach George Karl's battle with cancer as an excuse, Nuggets management saw the team's first-round flameout in the playoffs as proof the current roster is unlikely to win a championship.
With guard Chauncey Billups approaching his 34th birthday, forward Kenyon Martin facing recovery from yet another knee surgery and the
Share Your Analysis
Post sports columnist Mark Kiszla fields your feedback. Look for it in Kickin' It With Kiz on Sundays.
distinct possibility of labor strife interrupting the 2011-12 season, it's not too early for everybody to begin long-term planning and ask a tough question:
Does Denver have a future as a serious NBA contender with a nucleus of Anthony, promising guard Ty Lawson and frustrating center Nene?
Without a solid commitment from Anthony, the Nuggets might feel as if they have no choice except to blow up the roster and start over.
New York Knicks Out To Convince Lebron James Not To Join Wade And Bosh
LeBron James is calling the possible union of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and of course, the King himself, "Dream Team."
Those were the words James used when he reached out to another free agent in the past 10 days and pitched the idea of joining them.
"He said, 'Would you be willing to take less to join Dream Team?'" the player, who did not want to be identified, told the Daily News. "He said his people were putting it together."
That conversation lends credence to reports that James will join Bosh and Wade in Miami. In that scenario, Pat Riley will likely return to the sidelines and coach the Heat.
However, there is a twist because with LeBron there always is. There was a report out of Cleveland Tuesday quoting a person close to the Cavs' free agent as saying that the club still has an edge in re-signing him. There were other reports that James is leaning toward joining the Chicago Bulls.
Few, if any, reports give the Knicks much of a chance, and yet the club's brain trust remains confident that it can convince James to make the jump to the NBA's biggest market.
The Knicks will have their much-anticipated meeting with James Thursday afternoon in Ohio, hours after he finally becomes a free agent at midnight. There is a possibility that the sit-down could take place at James' mansion in Akron.
The Nets are batting leadoff and will be followed by the Knicks, whose traveling party includes team president Donnie Walsh, head coach Mike D'Antoni, Garden chairman James Dolan and former player Allan Houston. The Bulls, Clippers, Heat and Cavs have also scheduled meetings with James in Ohio.
The Knicks are fighting long odds in their bid to land James but feel they have several strong selling points - New York City, the flexibility to sign another "max" free agent and enough salary-cap space to add another elite free agent the following summer. The team will also impress upon James that he has a chance to build his brand and establish his legacy by winning in New York.
The tough sell for the Knicks, though, is convincing James that he can win titles in New York. The franchise hasn't raised a championship banner since 1973, and under Dolan's ownership, the club has suffered through nine straight losing seasons. Expect several teams, particularly Riley and the Heat, to stress to James that joining the Knicks could be a career killer.
In fact, the Knicks' old administration is coming back to haunt the Garden. Riley is the most accomplished winner who will sit across from James, and his mere presence is a powerful influence. The fact that Riley is expected to re-sign Wade and will likely sign Bosh makes Miami even more appealing. Former Knicks president Ernie Grunfeld made trades with Chicago and New Jersey over the past five days that gave both teams additional cap space. The Bulls could conceivably add both James and Bosh.
The Knicks will start their day at 9 p.m. PDT in Los Angeles when they meet with Hawks free agent shooting guard Joe Johnson. According to a source close to Johnson, he has narrowed his choices to three teams: the Knicks, the Hawks and the Bulls. If Atlanta doesn't offer Johnson a six-year, max contract, he will almost certainly leave and most likely join the Knicks.
The Knicks could also have the inside track on signing free agent point guard Luke Ridnour, whose price tag is too high for Milwaukee. Ridnour would serve as the perfect mentor for second-year point guard Toney Douglas, having been used in a similar role last season with the Bucks and their rookie Brandon Jennings.
The Knicks' contingent is hoping to have a verbal commitment from Johnson before it leaves to meet LeBron, but the Hawks claim they are prepared to offer Johnson a max contract, which is $30 million more than the Knicks can offer. The Knicks are also hoping to sit down with Amare Stoudemire before they leave the West Coast.
When the Knicks do meet with James, the two-time MVP will be joined by his business manager, Maverick Carter, and his agent, Leon Rose. Tuesday, Carter was quoted in the New York Times saying that NBA power broker William Wesley, otherwise known as "World Wide Wes," will not sit in on the meeting and that "Wes has nothing to do with where he goes."
Wesley's exclusion could be a bad sign for the Bulls, the team believed to be the one Wesley is trying to convince James to join. However, the Knicks also have a relationship with Wesley dating back to last summer when Walsh hired him to run Eddy Curry's off-season workouts.
Carter is James' childhood friend, and several people close to him believe he would prefer to see James remain in Cleveland.
Those were the words James used when he reached out to another free agent in the past 10 days and pitched the idea of joining them.
"He said, 'Would you be willing to take less to join Dream Team?'" the player, who did not want to be identified, told the Daily News. "He said his people were putting it together."
That conversation lends credence to reports that James will join Bosh and Wade in Miami. In that scenario, Pat Riley will likely return to the sidelines and coach the Heat.
However, there is a twist because with LeBron there always is. There was a report out of Cleveland Tuesday quoting a person close to the Cavs' free agent as saying that the club still has an edge in re-signing him. There were other reports that James is leaning toward joining the Chicago Bulls.
Few, if any, reports give the Knicks much of a chance, and yet the club's brain trust remains confident that it can convince James to make the jump to the NBA's biggest market.
The Knicks will have their much-anticipated meeting with James Thursday afternoon in Ohio, hours after he finally becomes a free agent at midnight. There is a possibility that the sit-down could take place at James' mansion in Akron.
The Nets are batting leadoff and will be followed by the Knicks, whose traveling party includes team president Donnie Walsh, head coach Mike D'Antoni, Garden chairman James Dolan and former player Allan Houston. The Bulls, Clippers, Heat and Cavs have also scheduled meetings with James in Ohio.
The Knicks are fighting long odds in their bid to land James but feel they have several strong selling points - New York City, the flexibility to sign another "max" free agent and enough salary-cap space to add another elite free agent the following summer. The team will also impress upon James that he has a chance to build his brand and establish his legacy by winning in New York.
The tough sell for the Knicks, though, is convincing James that he can win titles in New York. The franchise hasn't raised a championship banner since 1973, and under Dolan's ownership, the club has suffered through nine straight losing seasons. Expect several teams, particularly Riley and the Heat, to stress to James that joining the Knicks could be a career killer.
In fact, the Knicks' old administration is coming back to haunt the Garden. Riley is the most accomplished winner who will sit across from James, and his mere presence is a powerful influence. The fact that Riley is expected to re-sign Wade and will likely sign Bosh makes Miami even more appealing. Former Knicks president Ernie Grunfeld made trades with Chicago and New Jersey over the past five days that gave both teams additional cap space. The Bulls could conceivably add both James and Bosh.
The Knicks will start their day at 9 p.m. PDT in Los Angeles when they meet with Hawks free agent shooting guard Joe Johnson. According to a source close to Johnson, he has narrowed his choices to three teams: the Knicks, the Hawks and the Bulls. If Atlanta doesn't offer Johnson a six-year, max contract, he will almost certainly leave and most likely join the Knicks.
The Knicks could also have the inside track on signing free agent point guard Luke Ridnour, whose price tag is too high for Milwaukee. Ridnour would serve as the perfect mentor for second-year point guard Toney Douglas, having been used in a similar role last season with the Bucks and their rookie Brandon Jennings.
The Knicks' contingent is hoping to have a verbal commitment from Johnson before it leaves to meet LeBron, but the Hawks claim they are prepared to offer Johnson a max contract, which is $30 million more than the Knicks can offer. The Knicks are also hoping to sit down with Amare Stoudemire before they leave the West Coast.
When the Knicks do meet with James, the two-time MVP will be joined by his business manager, Maverick Carter, and his agent, Leon Rose. Tuesday, Carter was quoted in the New York Times saying that NBA power broker William Wesley, otherwise known as "World Wide Wes," will not sit in on the meeting and that "Wes has nothing to do with where he goes."
Wesley's exclusion could be a bad sign for the Bulls, the team believed to be the one Wesley is trying to convince James to join. However, the Knicks also have a relationship with Wesley dating back to last summer when Walsh hired him to run Eddy Curry's off-season workouts.
Carter is James' childhood friend, and several people close to him believe he would prefer to see James remain in Cleveland.
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