As Carmelo Anthony leans toward leaving New York, Chicago and Houston emerge as frontrunners

I hope you're right, Codman! All this chatter has gotten me down.

 

At least, Codman is optimistic

 

Yes, but those execs will ask for Morey's children, and his children's children.

 

So if Morey doesn't want to stand pat, what does he plan to do if they can't get LeBron, Melo, or Bosh?

 

That's funny.

Pacers have a very young and talented core.

George 24
Hibbert 27
Stephenson 23
Hill 28

That team is only going to get better as George and Stephenson hit their primes. They are an elite defense and have been to the ECF 2 years in a row. They are not fixing to get worse.

The Heat are still top dog in the East if Lebron stays in Miami.

Chicago comes with huge question marks if they unload Taj and Boozer for for Melo. Rose has not been healthy for 2 seasons now and no one knows what kind of player he will be when he comes back.

The east is the easier conference for sure but if you want a championship you still have to beat the best from the West. Hiding in the lowly east will not get you closer to being NBA Champs.

 

They could just

Let all expirings become free agents
Cut James, Brewer, Amundson
Amnesty Boozer
Trade Dunleavy, Snell, Smith and their 2 first Rd picks.

You then have enough cap space to sign Melo outright to a 4/80 type deal while keeping Gibsom and Butler.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Longshot Rox deal Asik, Lin. Heat always far-fetched. (4 significant paycuts?) Knicks, just by $, faves with Bulls best contender for Melo.</p>&mdash; K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCJHoop/statuses/480798154443341824">June 22, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Outside of Jonathan Feigen(reported it; not sure if he believes they can or not) and Sam Amick("trades lined up!"), everyone pessimistic that Houston will be able to move those contracts.

For whatever that's worth, if anything.

 

The Pacers regressed big time post-All Star Break. They were exposed in the playoffs. They have no playmakers. Hill is NOT a PG. George can't create his own shot. Hibbert psychologically imploded before everyone's eyes during the playoffs. They will most likely lose Lance. Who do they add to the roster to replace him?

The word out of Chicago is that Rose is playing like his old self, participating in 5-on-5.

I would much rather play in the East and be guaranteed an easier path to at least the ECF. Miami got a little unlucky in that they faced the Spurs in the finals, but they would've been the favorite against any other team in the West and we'd be talking three-peat right now. So yea, I'd rather play in the East than have to go through the minefield that is the West.

 

Please, shut the **** up.

 

Woj and Beck don't seem pessimistic, FWIW.

To me, it's just lazy reporting and a way to justify their existing biases (reporters generally want LeBron to stay and Carmelo in NY or CHI market). They can't dismiss Houston out of logic, so they come up with a new obstacle of their own doing.

It baffles me that some reporters don't seem to grasp the significance of the GS/Utah trade a year ago. In exchange for a mere two first-round picks (likely in 20s) and three 2nds (almost worthless), the Warriors cleared $25 million in cap space from two players who are essentially corpses. And now the Rockets won't be able to move $16.5 million for two viable rotation players, with an unlimited supply of 1st round picks and young assets to use as sweetener, if needed?

Puh-lease.

 

lol at executives not wanting to help the Rockets clear space. So they are more willing to help the bulls?

 

Funny that they imploded so bad they made it to the ECF. The young core will continue to improve. Indy will continue to be an elite team. Deny it all you want, it won't Chang the facts. Bulls have tons more questions about their team then Pacers, including the health and future of some guy named Rose.

 

I 100% agree. LeBron coming ot Houston would be the ultimate. The media would hate it so much but could no nothing about it.

 

Didn't we hear the same crap last year when we had to clear space. No one wants TRob, Royce can't be moved, no other execs will help the Rockets get Dwight...yada, yada, yada.

The one thing we've learned (or should have learned) is that it just takes one reporter to tweet something and then most of the rest make minor revisions to the tweet, claim it as there own investigation and multiple sources.

 

Did I say LeBron and Melo were going to sign with the Bucks or Sixers? Obviously a team's roster is paramount. What I'm saying is that if you sign with a contender in the East and have an easier path to the Finals, then, even up against a superior team like the Spurs, all you need is a hot-shooting streak and a few lucky bounces and you have a pretty good shot at winning (like the Heat last year). In the East, even if you have a bad series early on, you can still make it through because the teams you are facing in the first couple of rounds are that bad. In the West, you can't get away with a bad series, even in the first round. Look what happened to the Rockets this past postseason. Heck, even SAS barely made it out of the first round. If you look at it from a probability perspective, your chances of winning a chip are greater if you can cakewalk through 3 series and play just one tough series. Miami would have a three-peat right now if they had faced any other team in the Finals.

 

We also heard the same thing when the Warriors had to move players to get Igoudala in July 2013, and more of the same when the Heat had to move Michael Beasley to make room for the Big 3 in July 2010.

Same song, 6th verse... some folks never learn. The generally-established price to clear space, especially with expiring deals, is future 1sts and/or young players with talent. The Rockets have each and would not hesitate at all if LeBron or Carmelo are on the other line.

 

Could you please show me a similar stat line for Jeremy Lin. Since Jeremy would have to go for Melo to come here, I am interested in seeing them side by side.