NYDN: Miami Big 3 would take pay cut, but only to add talent to the team and not to help owner save

I've already explained to you that they can't do what you are suggesting.

 

Welp. Eric Pincus suggested Kobe could do it.

And Bima told me it would likely not be ruled circumvention if the league couldn't prove there was an agreement in place. The understanding is if the suggestion comes from the player and not the front office it's legal.

So, take it up with guys like Pincus and Bima. I question and argue with them myself from time to time. But very seldom are they wrong.

 

LeBron would be stupid to leave the eastern conference and the heat. They have no competition in the east and will be in the finals again next year . He will not be wearing a rockets uniform, but Melo will.

 

What you just said is that Pat Riley would promise to max him out the next two years. That is circumvention.

Riley cannot promise that and it would be obvious that is what happened.

Wade is certainly welcome to sign for a minimum deal, but if the very next year they maxed him out again (and signing that minimum deal would reset his max to the standard league max for a veteran of his service time) it would be obvious what was happening.

 

Agreed. The Chicago hype train has to end somewhere. They overachieve... a lot because of their coach. We get it.

And look, a healthy Derrick Rose, a healthy Noah, plus Lebron plus filler probably makes it to the Finals in the East again. But how is that team better than Miami? They're not.

And if you look at it objectively, it is VERY possible Miami would have lost to EVERY SINGLE playoff team out of the West this year in a series. The Warriors took the Clippers to 7. The Clippers were a damn good team this year, just beaten by a better team, the Thunder, that team just beated by a better team partially due to injury. The Grizzlies were playing great when not doing stupid things, the Mavs took the Spurs to 7, the Rockets ran into a matchup nightmare (in hindsight), and the Trailblazers ... well when they were on, you can see what they could do. So it might be a bit of hyperbole... but the days of hoping San Antonio finally goes away and the Thunder remain ever-hurt in the playoffs are over.

Point being, there are other teams better and less risky then the Bulls I'd choose out East if I was Lebron. Not that he can just pick and choose, but if he could.

People b**** and complain about the gauntlet he'd have to go through in the West. Except that the Western teams are all really pretty close. It's easy to look at the Spurs and say no... but for the Ibaka injury they would have at least had 2 seven game series en route to the championship. Add Lebron to ANY of the Western Conference teams today, and that team is automatically head and shoulders above the rest. Not to mention the cakewalk the Finals would be once you make it there.

I'd love to beat the Rockets drum. It is a perfect fit. But then if he could find a way to get to the Clippers, or Warriors, those would be great fits, too.

Second point in this now long post. Don't sleep completely on Wade. He's past his prime, now old, and can't play a full season. But when healthy, he's still really really good in the regular season. Does that mean his value on the open market is $10 million, $15 million, $20 million... I don't know. Probably towards the lower end of the range, though there's probably a team out there that would pick him up at a little more but on a shorter term deal. But even with all that, he still be crazy crazy stupid to opt out on $41 million over the next two years.

They all seem to know this which is why the options have been reduced to (i) they all sign at some discount. What, $18 million a year. Not a huge discount, but perhaps enough, or (ii) break it up.

It's also convenient that nobody is really mentioning the fact that they have to rebuild that Heat team from scratch. Sure, Chalmers sucked in the Finals. Sure Battier's role has been reduced. Sure, Ray Allen's role has been reduced. Sure, Rashard Lewis wasn't a consistent contributor. Sure, Chris Anderson isn't an all-star big or close to it. But it's 100% CLEAR, unless Wade and Bosh somehow morph into something they either can't physically be anymore (Wade), or just aren't in the Miami system (Bosh), there is a LOT of player personnel moves the Heat have to make and to make smartly.

By far.. by far, by far, by far, by far... Lebron's best move, from a winning standpoint, would be singing with a Rockets team that potentially only gives up an Asik/Lin. You are looking at PBev, Harden, Lebron, Parson, TJones, Howard as an incredible core. Dan Le Batard, Heat homer at heart, said as much, emphatically, yesterday.. though they did go on to rightfully make fun of Harden's defense. If there was some deal with the Clippers where the Clippers didn't loose to much firepower, or the same with the Warriors, that might be equally compelling.

I'd put Lebron coming to the Rockets at under 5% nonetheless, but it clearly makes a ton of sense.

Like others have said, keep your eyes out for the first opt-in... probably by Wade. He is definitely the catalyst here as the oldest and least healthy.

tl;dr = Bulls way overhyped. Wade still great, but just can't stay healthy and has the most to loose financially. He's the one to watch. Heat have crazy difficult rebuilding task given they are behind not just the Spurs but various Western Conference teams now, imo. Rockets perfect fit for Lebron ... but that doesn't mean much. Come at me.

 

All of my thoughts...written by someone else.

A thing of beauty.

 

Lebron wants to win championships, not just get to the finals. Why settle for the easy road, instead of the better road? Lebron to Houston makes too much sense, not saying it will happen but we have seen a few "improbable" things happen in HTown these last few years (trade for Harden, signing Dwight).

Lebron is unlikely but not impossible. Lebron signing with Houston is easier than trading for Love. And just as likey as getting Melo. Why dream of A big three, when you can dream of THE big 3?

 

they can't all agree to just take less in order to bring in talent, because once you are a free agent, the market decides what you're worth. for lebron, he can get the max anywhere, he can opt out and agree to take less. bosh, pretty much the same. wade? nope. if he opts out in order to give the heat a 'deal' by asking for 18M instead of 20M? guess what, the heat counter with $10M and his agent will tell him there isn't another team out there offering more.

short answer, wade opts in. he won't take the minimum for a year on a wink wink deal either. with his health, he could really injure himself and the heat will back out of resigning him for $40M next summer. he has to take the money in hand.

that being said, the heat then have no money for lowry, gasol, and certainly not melo due to the cap holds of lebron or bosh (who they don't dare renounce). they won't be under the cap at all this summer.

now lets pretend like all 3 do opt out... again the cap holds prevent them to having any cap space unless they renounce the rights to resign the big 3... not gonna happen. so even IF they all opt out and take less money to resign.... still no cap space!

the only thing opting out would allow, is for all 3 to take less money, move further from the luxury tax, and allow them to use their MLE. however, wade still can't risk it! he's opting in. so will the other two take less? maybe slightly by resigning for $19.5M instead of opting in for $22M. that would move them $5M further from the LT which they can then use safely on a player for the MLE.

so they can go after pierce, a.bradley, e.turner, marion, stuckey, frye, meeks, sessions, mills, j.hill, mowill, d.collison, etc... etc...

none of the MLE guys will get them over the top. back to the finals? yeah, but the next two years of overpaying wade will kill their chances.

 

Lebron chose to play in Miami with the hopes that he would always have a big three. And with that vision, he predicted chances at multiple titles. Unfortunately for him, DWade and Bosh are shells of their past. Basically, Lebron saw that this year's Miami experience was Cleveland 2.0. Even if the Heat gain the necessary space/cap room to be able to sign quality free agents or land a big fish like Melo, what are Wade and Bosh going to provide???...

 

I agree
If he opts out. . .you going to pay him Max money
even 15 million when he is getting outplayed by Danny Green?

Wade is descending to not even in the top 10 SGs in the league
moving at least to the lower end

Rocket River

 

Hilarity has ensued.
I dunno about the new guy
but Stern would stomp a mud hole in that quick

Supreme Tampering + Loss of 1st Rounders for like 10 yrs
[What did he do to Minnesota back in the day . . . ]
This New guy may wanna put his own stamp on it

Rocket River