LeBron James to Chicago?

[Rastapopoulos]

That's what Chad Ford is saying 3 GMs told him. The suggestion is that the Bulls will trade the Cavs Deng in a sign-and-trade, and that would leave them far enough under the cap to sign another FA, possibly Bosh, or (God forbid) Dwyane Wade.

A couple of things:
1. if this happened, even if the Blazers returned to perfect health, they'd always be seen as underdogs to THAT. (Although, they'd still be pretty thin at C. Oden has beef with Joakim Noah...)
2. Would James really like to go to Chicago and constantly be in the shadow of Jordan?
3. But then again, of the teams with huge capspace, Chicago do have the best talent...
4. I don't see the Cavs wanting to take Deng on. He's a good player when healthy, but he's got a 5 year contract at over 10M per. And they'd be helping the Bulls to clear even more capspace.

Maybe we could get involved and send some combination of Rudy/Webster/Bayless/Joel's contract to Cleveland and we get Deng?

 

[Nikolokolus]

If there was some way to get in on that deal and snag Deng for basically spare parts then I'd do it. The Blazers would absolutely need to make other moves, either with their MLE or in trades to shore up their bench though.

All I can say is that if James does go to Chicago they'll be prohibitive favorites for the next six years with a backcourt of James and Rose + another max guy like Bosh, surrounded by a lot of other pretty good pieces in Noah, Gibson, Hinrich, et al. Scary indeed.

 

[LittleAlex]

If there was some way to get in on that deal and snag Deng for basically spare parts then I'd do it. The Blazers would absolutely need to make other moves, either with their MLE or in trades to shore up their bench though.

All I can say is that if James does go to Chicago they'll be prohibitive favorites for the next six years with a backcourt of James and Rose + another max guy like Bosh, surrounded by a lot of other pretty good pieces in Noah, Gibson, Hinrich, et al. Scary indeed.

I think they only have enough money for one max free agent.

 

[Tortimer]

I think they only have enough money for one max free agent.

I think Chicago could easily do a sign and trade for another max player like Bosh. They have players with enough salary and teams would want Deng, Hinrich etc.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think they only have enough money for one max free agent.

The Premise would be to work a sign and trade for James (with Deng as the primary piece), retain their cap room and sign another big time free agent.

 

[illmatic99]

LOL @ the thought of Chicago being able to S&T Deng for a guy like LeBron or Bosh.

Luol = net negative, with his contract.

 

[Nikolokolus]

LOL @ the thought of Chicago being able to S&T Deng for a guy like LeBron or Bosh.

Luol = net negative, with his contract.

If Bron says he wants to go to Chicago, what's worse, letting him go for nothing, or at least getting a decent small forward back in the swap?

 

[illmatic99]

If Bron says he wants to go to Chicago, what's worse, letting him go for nothing, or at least getting a decent small forward back in the swap?

Considering how much Deng is still owed, how much Jamison is still owed, how crappy the Cavs will be w/o Lebron on Shaq, and much money the team will lose due to lack of fan support, I'd let him go for nothing.

 

[hasoos]

I think Cleveland can get a better deal than that.

 

[mook]

If Bron says he wants to go to Chicago, what's worse, letting him go for nothing, or at least getting a decent small forward back in the swap?

They are better off letting him go for nothing. If LeBron leaves and they get Deng back, that team wins 45 games, tops. Without a lot of hope of landing a top-flight player, because they have $56 mil on the books, and $51 mil the year after. How the hell does that team sell tickets in Cleveland? That makes no sense to me.

If I'm Cleveland, I'd rather let LeBron walk and take my chances with free agents. If that fails, tank.

Of course, if I'm Cleveland I might also explain this to LeBron, letting King James know that if he chooses a more preferable team to be a trading partner, he might still get his wish to play with Bosh or Wade. Or explain to Chicago that they want a better deal.

 

[Tortimer]

It's not if the Cavs can get a better deal then Deng. If James will only go to the Bulls it is a take Deng or nothing. I can sort of agree that if I were the Cavs I would let him go for nothing instead of taking Deng unless I could trade Deng for something I would need.

 

[RR7]

Yeah, if I'm Cleveland, I take nothing, and say you can leave Lebron. James isn't going to want to outright sign somewhere, and leave money on the table. Not like Chicago has much else to offer, though. Draft picks , Taj Gibson and James Johnson don't really excite anyone. But I'd rather S&T him for 3 draft picks, and a large TPE than Deng. I like Deng, but that Cleveland team will be pretty mediocre. Why tie up a bunch of money long term?

 

[hasoos]

Yeah, if I'm Cleveland, I take nothing, and say you can leave Lebron. James isn't going to want to outright sign somewhere, and leave money on the table. Not like Chicago has much else to offer, though. Draft picks , Taj Gibson and James Johnson don't really excite anyone. But I'd rather S&T him for 3 draft picks, and a large TPE than Deng. I like Deng, but that Cleveland team will be pretty mediocre. Why tie up a bunch of money long term?

I agree with you. Because here is how I see it. By taking Deng back you are helping them out. By not taking Deng back, you leave them hamstrung on ability to get more talent, and also have the possibility of having a player unhappy on their roster. I would do nothing to help Chicago out in this endeavor. Because lets face it. If Lebron leaves, Cleveland is hamstrung with Shaqs contract and lack of talent for the next year or so. Luol Deng isn't really going to help out.

Here is the whole problem I see with the logic in this happening. Lebron is from Ohio, and claims Cleveland is his home town. Everybody in Cleveland hates the Bulls. By going to the Bulls, Lebron would basically be saying the biggest "FUCK YOU CLEVELAND" that he could. Has anybody even thought about this before thinking this through?

 

[mook]

I wonder if James has ever seriously considered the Clippers. The guy is a media whore, and what better city is there for such a person? Just think of the daily stories comparing his team to the Lakers.

In much the way Jordan defines the Bulls, he could instantly turn a sad sack team into one of the leading franchises in the league. As a bonus, it's about as far away from Cleveland as you can get.

Maybe the Clips offer Baron Davis (3 years/$49 mil), their pick (#8 lottery or so), and Eric Gordon. That's a decent package for Cleveland to start rebuilding with.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have Kaman, Blake Griffin, LeBron, and cap space to sign Wade or (maybe more likely) Joe Johnson. Fill it out with some role players.

That is a badass fucking team.

 

[hasoos]

I wonder if James has ever seriously considered the Clippers. The guy is a media whore, and what better city is there for such a person? Just think of the daily stories comparing his team to the Lakers.

In much the way Jordan defines the Bulls, he could instantly turn a sad sack team into one of the leading franchises in the league. As a bonus, it's about as far away from Cleveland as you can get.

Maybe the Clips offer Baron Davis (3 years/$49 mil), their pick (#8 lottery or so), and Eric Gordon. That's a decent package for Cleveland to start rebuilding with.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have Kaman, Blake Griffin, LeBron, and cap space to sign Wade or (maybe more likely) Joe Johnson. Fill it out with some role players.

That is a badass fucking team.

It is. And here is some more piss in the Cheerios. This would allow the league to have like 5 Kobe Vs Lebron games on TV a year, which is a huge marketing bonus.

 

[mook]

It is. And here is some more piss in the Cheerios. This would allow the league to have like 5 Kobe Vs Lebron games on TV a year, which is a huge marketing bonus.

Yeah, it'd get sickening. Oh well. I'm a fan of great basketball, and there would be some really, really great basketball between those two teams. As somebody who hates the Lakers, on the plus side at least the Lakeshow would no longer be entitled to two more home games than everybody else every year. When the Lakers play the Clippers under this scenario, it'd be a wash in the stands every game.

In my scenario, I think they'd re-sign Steve Blake. They really only need the PG to hit ridiculously wide open shots, and Blake does that very well. He and Joe Johnson would each get about 5 wide open looks a piece every game.

Scary.

The weakest link is the owner. But with that many talented players who fit so well together, even The Donald would have to work hard to fuck it up.

 

[ABM]

2. Would James really like to go to Chicago and constantly be in the shadow of Jordan?

Hmmm....I wonder if James is just arrogant enough to actually think he might eventually replace Jordan as "king" of Chi-Town??

 

[hasoos]

Hmmm....I wonder if James is just arrogant enough to actually think he might eventually replace Jordan as "king" of Chi-Town??

At this point, Lebron would pretty much have to win a championship every year for the rest of his career to be considered better IMO.

 

[Minstrel]

If I'm Cleveland and Chicago wants to work a sign-and-trade for James, I'm asking for Derrick Rose or forget it. Because there's virtually no chance Chicago gets James as a straight free agent, IMO....as RR7 said, James isn't going to leave the money on the table that he can get in a sign-and-trade. So it's Rose for James or no James at all. Rose isn't anywhere near as valuable as James, so Chicago would have to consider it. If they turn it down, it's almost certain Cleveland can find a better deal that Deng, so there's no loss there. There's nothing being risked by making Rose the price.

 

[Masbee]

If I was Danny Ferry, and Chicago wanted to give me Deng for LeBron, I would tell them - in the most polite way of course - to go screw themseves and then die, but not before burning my number.

 

[Masbee]

Another thing, since I heard last night for the first time this LeBron to Chicago idea, I immediately started wondering - are LeBron and Rose a good fit?

I am not so sure.

They both need the ball in their hand.

Mo Williams with LeBron wins 60 games as Williams is a very good distance shooter and can catch and shoot.

Rose - none of the above.

A team with LeBron and Rose would need shooters at the 2, 4 and 5 positions.

I just don't see the automatic domination if LeBron goes the the Bulls. They would need to do a lot more roster work.

 

[DaRizzle]

If Bron says he wants to go to the Lakers, what's worse, letting him go for nothing, or at least getting a decent small forward back in the swap?

Exactly....this is my hope

 

[DaRizzle]

To everybody:

CLEVELAND HAS NO LEVERAGE IN SIGN AND TRADES....HE WALKS AND THE CAVS GET NOTHING IF THEY DONT AGREE TO A LOPSIDED S&T

 

[mook]

To everybody:

CLEVELAND HAS NO LEVERAGE IN SIGN AND TRADES....HE WALKS AND THE CAVS GET NOTHING IF THEY DONT AGREE TO A LOPSIDED S&T

Of course Cleveland has leverage. "Getting nothing" isn't a bad option if the alternative is paying for a $55 mil roster while having no tv or ticket sales to cover those costs. If they let him walk and don't pay Deng, that number drops to $44 mil, which seems a lot easier to juggle.

I really, really doubt LeBron's plan is to tell Cleveland to eat Deng's contract or he walks. It's a hollow threat.

Besides, of all his options, nobody has really explained to me how Chicago is any better than the Clippers or New York. As Masbee pointed out, Rose doesn't really fit as an ideal teammate. He'd be living right next door to the hometown he abandoned. He'd be living in Jordan's shadow. What's the upside of Chicago over some of these other destinations?

 

[hasoos]

To everybody:

CLEVELAND HAS NO LEVERAGE IN SIGN AND TRADES....HE WALKS AND THE CAVS GET NOTHING IF THEY DONT AGREE TO A LOPSIDED S&T

You are incorrect. The Cavaliers, and only the Cavaliers can offer him more money than anybody. They have a lot of leverage, especially when you consider the difference in millions of dollars over the length of the contract.

 

[hasoos]

Ok here is my idea. Paul Allen brings in James, and tells him that if he signs up now, when Paul Allen either dies, he will leave Lebron 1 Billion dollars in his will in a wink wink nudge nudge deal. The Caveat being, Lebron has to bring a championship to the Rose City in order to get it.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Everybody who said that Cleveland would never take Deng is, I think, correct. But James is not going to agree to a trade where the team he ends up gives up too much to get him. Things to remember:
1. Cleveland's hand: they have James' Bird rights, so that he can make a boatload more by agreeing to a sign and trade than he can from just signing with one of the teams with lotsa cap room.
2. BUT: James makes unfathomable fortunes from his endorsements, so probably wouldn't be hurting that much.
3. PLUS: certain locations (like Miami) have advantages because of much lower taxes that might almost make up for the Bird Rights deal.

I like mook's suggestion about the Clippers, but there's something demeaning about that team. It doesn't even have its own arena. And Blake Griffin is in Greg Oden's position at this point.
PLUS: I just do not see the Cavs taking Baron Davies.

Here's what Cleveland should do: go all out for Phil Jackson. Promise him $20M a year. Present him and LeBron James with contracts to sign that both have provisos "only valid if [the other one] signs up too". Because LeBron James at this point needs to prove that it was Brown's fault and not his that his team crapped out. (Much like Kobe can claim that it was Rudy D's/whoever the hell else they had for a while there fault that the Lakers were so God-awful after Shaq and Phil left.)

Or, failing that, get Larry Brown. I guarantee you Larry Brown could've won a championship with that Cleveland roster.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Also, re: the Chicago rumors

Is Chicago + James really unbeatable? Let's assume they don't get another boffo free agent. They're still pretty small. The biggest hole is at PF. It makes a lot of sense just to plug James in there. But Noah is small for a C, their best two guards are both PGs... It seems a little bit similar to the team he just left. And, as someone has pointed out, Rose needs the ball A LOT, and is actually very inefficient.

Finally, the other part of the rumor is John Calipari. Really? Are peoples' memories that short? I don't recall his Nets being exactly world-beaters. And he's a grade-A slimeball.

 

[Minstrel]

I wonder what James would think if Cleveland offered him an unprecendented position: player-GM. He stays, he gets to decide who the franchise employs alongside him. Most likely, he wouldn't be a great GM...but if you're Cleveland, would you rather have the best player of his generation and a sub-par GM (CBA rules anyway constrain what he could do) or a professional GM and no LeBron James?

All moves have to be okay'd by the owner anyway, so there's no "trade himself to another team" out.

 

[hasoos]

Also, re: the Chicago rumors

Is Chicago + James really unbeatable? Let's assume they don't get another boffo free agent. They're still pretty small. The biggest hole is at PF. It makes a lot of sense just to plug James in there. But Noah is small for a C, their best two guards are both PGs... It seems a little bit similar to the team he just left. And, as someone has pointed out, Rose needs the ball A LOT, and is actually very inefficient.

Finally, the other part of the rumor is John Calipari. Really? Are peoples' memories that short? I don't recall his Nets being exactly world-beaters. And he's a grade-A slimeball.

Brad Miller is a free agent, but could easily be retained with the veteran exception.