Interesting but I don't see how 18 teams will be able to. Houston, Detroit, Nets, etc should be frontrunners for top free agents. Detroit hast he best shot IMO
I don't think the Rockets will really be going for him... just a hunch. we aren't in prime position to give it all up for him.
I only see four serious contenders for Lebron.......Cavs, Nets, Knicks, and Pistons. I don't think he would go anywhere else, unless somehow Kobe disappeared from the NBA or retired.
I think we should skip Lebron and put all our efforts into Chris Bosh. I think he would be excellent alongside Yao.
Second. Chris Bosh is the ideal forward beside Yao, especially with his quickness and scoring ability from anywhere in the court. Even better, Bosh can provide the vocal leadership skills Yao lacks
Good points made in this thread but just a wishful thinking fan here. Chris Bosh would likely seem to be the best move but Morey will at least try to reach out to Lebron. Can't wait for 2010. If we do get Bosh or some other big name, I wonder what Tracy would do. I wouldn't mind seeing him back but I wouldn't offer a big fat contract either.
Chris Bosh is not worth a max contract and if we resign Scola, we have our current power forward rotation intact in 2010 so getting Bosh would mean we have to deal at least one of them and another one would be coming of the bench. I think you have to throw all the many you have at LeBron or Wade. With all that talk about the free agent class of 2010, these really are the only two guys that deserve a max. Sure there are a lot of good players worth 12-15 millions a year but LeBron and Wade should be the top priority. As for McGrady, I'd let him go.
Sign him to the MLE. He owes us games missed through every injury he's had. If things go well for Artest and he gets an extension, maybe 4 years at 10mm per, would we still be front runners for 2010?
Free Agents: 2009 and 2010 "Those who have been observing the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, among others, maneuver to create salary-cap space already have heard about "the Summer of LeBron." That's 2010, the year that LeBron James can opt out of his contract with the Cavs. But the offseason of 2010 is not just the Summer of LeBron: It's also the Summer of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd, each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent in 2010. And in 2009, the list is illustrious, too: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace can become unrestricted free agents next year. And that's not to mention all the restricted free agents, as you can see below. Of course, not all of these players will reach free agency. But some will, which is why we're already hearing buzz about the summers of 2009 and 2010. Take a look and see whom your team could lose … or which players it might ink in '09 and '10. " If were not going to try for Lebron my order goes like this Amare>Bosh>D-Wade.... I don't think we should sign Yao or Tracy in 2010 unless they signs for a whole lot less. Injury prone and way past there prime.
Here's a much better explanation of Lebron James impact and a nicer list.. 2010 NBA Free Agents (The NBA's Golden Year) -From Hoops World. Let's start this piece off by comparing two NBA players. Player A: At the age of 23, "Player A" had scored 5,762 points (connecting on a total of 24 three-pointers), grabbed 1,028 rebounds, and dished out 911 assists in his career to that point. He had won a total of one playoff game, never advancing past the first round. Player B: At the completion of his Age 23 season, "Player B" had tallied 10,689 points (including 510 three-pointers made), hauled in 2,694 rebounds, and racked up 2,572 assists. He had 26 career playoff wins under his belt, and had already carried his team to an NBA Finals appearance. 'Player A' is Michael Jordan. 'Player B'? That would be LeBron James. First and foremost, it goes without saying (at least it should) that there will never be another MJ. The list of over-hyped potential successors to His Airness' Throne, ranging from names like Harold Minor all the way up to O.J. Mayo, is humorous at this point. (As an aside, hopefully all those "experts" that claimed Kobe was prepared to take up residence alongside Jordan's rarefied air will cease and desist with that nonsense. Jordan was awarded the NBA Finals MVP trophy six times in his illustrious career – Kobe has yet to win one.) Now, just for a moment, imagine it was 1989 and each NBA franchise had an opportunity to steal away a 25-year-old Michael Jordan from Chicago and add him to their team, without having to trade a single player. The only prerequisite required was enough salary-cap space to sign him. Let that marinate for a minute… Again, LBJ can't, and shouldn't, be compared to MJ. However, I think most basketball fans would agree that this LeBron James kid has a pretty bright future… Mind you, Mike didn't win his first championship until he was 27. But once he broke through in 1991, he strung together back-to-back three-peats. And while LeBron's stats versus Jordan's are skewed because King James came into the league straight out of high school and had a two season head start on Mike, the numbers speak for themselves. LeBron, arguably the most hyped athlete in the history of professional sports when he exploded on the scene back in 2003, has actually exceeded expectations – if that is even possible. Well, two years from now, LeBron James will be 25. He will also likely become an unrestricted free-agent. Yes, if LeBron elects to exercise the player-option on his current contract following the 2009-2010 season, every team in the NBA would have the opportunity to woo him. And that is why cap space in the Summer of 2010 (aka the Summer of LeBron) is considered the Holy Grail. As soon as LeBron signed a truncated three-year extension, with an opt-out option, back in 2006, eyebrows were raised from coast-to-coast. Immediately, fans in big markets like New York started dreaming the impossible dream. Rumors related to kickers in LeBron's marketing deals started popping up everywhere. The mere thought of having a slight shot at adding King James had fans giddy. Then things got even more interesting as two of LeBron's contemporaries from the Draft Class of 2003 choose to sign similar contract extensions. All of a sudden, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were in the mix for a potential free-agent bonanza following the 2009-2010 season. Remember, there was a time (following the 2006 NBA Finals) when some analysts believed D Wade would have a better career than LeBron. Thus, NBA GM's across the country began planning for the future with a specific date in mind – July 1st, 2010. As we get closer to this date of destiny, the urgency becomes more intense. And upon further inspection, it is certainly not just the trio from 2003 that has General Mangers salivating. The list of veteran, superstar potential free-agents is mind-boggling. It is almost of a perfect storm of shortened extensions, expiring contracts, and Early Termination Options. These convergent forces are lining up to create quite possibly the most extraordinary free-agent class in the history of the National Basketball Association. This is not hyperbole or exaggeration. This is real – take a look at the list below. That said, it is important to note that so much can happen between now and then. Over the course of two years, it is certainly possible that some of these names could sign extensions or choose not to exercise player options, etc. These names are by no means set in stone. Nonetheless, the sheer magnitude of exceptional players is astonishing. So, let's break into a few categories. First up, let's start with the stars whose contracts expire following the 2009-2010 season and will then become honest-to-goodness free agents: Joe Johnson Ray Allen Manu Ginobili Marcus Camby Tracey McGrady Shaquille O'Neal Brad Miller Stephen Jackson Jermaine O'Neal Mike Miller Rip Hamilton The next grouping is those players that are signed thru 2011, but can opt out in 2010 if they so choose: Amare Stoudamire (owed 17.7 million in 10/11) LeBron James (owed 17.2 million in 10/11) Dwayne Wade (owed 17.0 million in 10/11) Chris Bosh (owed 17.1 million in 10/11) Dirk Nowitzki (owed $21.5 million in 10/11) Josh Howard (owed $11.8 million in 10/11) Mike Redd (owed $18.3 million in 10/11) Tyson Chandler (owed $12.8 million in 10/11) This next list consists of contracts that are set to expire in 2010, but the player may choose to opt-out following the 2008-2009 season: Steve Nash (owed $13.1 million in 09-10) Carlos Boozer (owed $12.7 million in 09-10) Chris Paul (owed $6 million in 09-10 / almost certain to sign an extension before becoming unrestricted) Memo Okur (owed $9.0 million in 09-10) Hedo Turkoglu (owed $7.4 million in 09-10) In addition to the superstars listed above, these 'second-tier' players are set to hit the open market as well: Ben Wallace Larry Hughes Zydrunas Ilgauskas (option to opt-out after 09/10 season) Anderson Varejao (option to opt-out after 09/10 season) Al Harrington Darko Milicic Udonis Haslem Jamal Crawford (option to opt-out after 09/10 season) Eddy Curry (option to opt-out after 09/10 season) Amir Johnson Derek Fisher Raja Bell T.J. Ford (player option - owed $8.5 million in 10/11) Travis Outlaw Bruce Bowen Earl Watson Luke Ridnour Matt Harpring Quentin Richardson Damien Wilkins We also must include the list of players that will actually eventually have value due solely to the fact their contracts come off the books in the summer of 2010: Jerome James (proof that Isiah Thomas knew what he was doing all along!) Cuttino Mobley Brendan Haywood Tim Thomas Brian Cardinal Antonio Davis Mark Blount Bobby Simmons Troy Hudson Darius Miles Kenny Thomas Shareef Abdul-Rahim Matt Bonner Etan Thomas Last, but not least, we have the 2006 Draft Class. These players will all be restricted free-agents in 2010, if they haven't already been inked to extensions: Brandon Roy Rudy Gay LaMarcus Aldridge Andrea Bargnani Rajon Rondo Tyrus Thomas Kyle Lowry Randy Foye Marcus Williams Josh Boone Renaldo Balkman Sergio Rodriguez Ronnie Brewer
Joe Johnson would be a good fit, too (assuming one of T-Mac/Ron are no longer here or healthy). Over 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists a game going on 4 straight years. All while shooting 36% or better from three and typically mid to high 40%'s overall. As for Lebron, $100 million is a lot of money regardless, but if the article is to be believed, he'd be leaving near $30 million on the table by leaving the Cavs. That's a lot.
Yao is going to be a Rocket for life. I would be shocked if they let him go anywhere else. The amount of publicity and money he generates for Les, it doesn't matter how he fits in the systems in place or how healthy he is, he pays his own salary off very easily. As far as Tracy goes, I know a lot of people say he should take less money because "he owes us" but come on, that's not how pro sports work, we all know that. Also, if we were in any of their positions, we would try to get as much money as possible from this lucrative career before it ends. T-Mac may remain a Rocket, but that depends on how much other teams believe in him and are willing to offer.
