@highkin: According to both @ByTimReynolds and @EthanJSkolnick, Wade and Bosh are both expected to opt out over the weekend. Also came out on rotoworld.com http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nba/235958/report-bosh-wade-to-opt-out-of-deals
That is why they met this past Wednesday to get on the same page. They can all take Duncan's contract of 10.3 mil apiece and have enough money to bring in either Lowry or Ariza. It will interesting to see what they sign for next week.
I have to think that if Miami add Lowry that our chances of getting Melo increase. Melo will need the kind of talented roster we have to beat that team, the Bulls without either Butler or Gibson simply won't suffice.
Wrong. Lebron would have jumped ship if either of Wade or Bosh had opted in. Now we know they're on the same page. They already had their leap year group meeting. If the report is true, then the chance of Lebron staying in Miami just skyrocketed.
There's no way they take $10M each. I think something more like $16-$17M is what you're going to see. That would free up around $12-15M in cap space... more than enough room to fill out the roster and get at least one or two decent veterans that aren't 33+ years of age. Now whether that's anywhere near enough to beat the Spurs if it comes to a re-match, I somehow doubt it. The Heat's biggest issue isn't offense... it's rebounding and a lack of defense that doesn't rely on aggressive high traps. They really need a big man and bench shooters, and they need to be 2-way players or the Spurs bench will carve them up like Turkeys. Again.
If Lebron Bosh and Lowry come off the table, then it's all out war between us and Chicago unfortunately. Gonna need some Moreyball stats and 3d camera angles to prove that Derrick Rose is not and will never be his old self ever again. Drag that cat through the dirt. It's not fun but it is what it is.
Bosh is dumb. The heat are not resigning him. Now the heat have the cap space they needed to get LeBron some real help and find a legit shooting guard so Wade can come off the bench
The issue with Miami is that they can't cut out Wade. If things were reversed, that is had Wade/Bosh gone to Cleveland, then things would be different. Melo/LeBron/Bosh/Lowry would've been the perfect superteam to create. But any team with Wade making even $12mil as reported is putting themselves in a hole. I would be quite happy if they won't re-sign Bosh. I am perfectly good with him on the Rockets. He'd have the same role and make the same money here.
Actually, depending on how low they will go, they could add Melo. If everyone plays at Duncan's rate they would have cash to burn on Lowry also. Doubt that happens.
Maybe he's OK with that? Some team will probably offer him a max or near max, so he gets an extra two years tacked on to his remaining deal. I just hope it's not the Rockets, at least not for a max.
At $16m each they would only be left with a max of about $10m to fill out the roster because of Norris Cole, Napier, and roster cap holds. More like $9m for a top player.
They had that dinner meeting of the big three a few days ago. If Bosh and Wade both opt out, that tells me that LBJ committed at that meeting to return to Miami if they did so. I can't see Wade specifically opting out unless there is a commitment by LeBron to a Miami - centric off season gameplan. I don't think Wade opts out and just hopes that everybody comes back with additional upgrades. To give up that payday, if I were Wade I'd need a firm commitment.
