Portland Trail Blazers may enter LeBron sweepstakes

[truebluefan]

This is from a Bulls beat writer in the Bulls site at NBA.com

So what’s the latest on the LeBron trackers? Is it Chicago with uncertainty about Tom Izzo as Cavs coach? New York? Wade and the Heat? There’s a big time team hiding in the weeds that might, in the end, have the most to offer—the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers, like about a third of the league, have been the focus of some speculation before regarding James, though they hardly are in the so-called big time market James is said to crave. But as it gets closer to July 1, one thing you hear regarding James is if he doesn’t stay with the Cavs, he wants the money, meaning a six-year maximum deal because of uncertainty about the salary ceilings in a new collective bargaining agreement due in the summer of 2011.

More than most any other team, the Trail Blazers have the pieces every team that could lose a free agents wants in a sign-and-trade, namely centers. Though Portland is a small market, it is home to Nike, all the athletes’ best friend, and owner Paul Allen is one of the world’s richest men.

More at the link

 

[RR7]

Yawn. Sam Smith.

 

[illmatic99]

Smith has zero credibility, but cool.

I'd give up everyone else on the team to get Brandon and LBJ on the same team.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

So, what are we talking about--Oden/Camby for Lebron? I think I'd do that.

 

[RR7]

I see it brought up any time someone discusses a big name here, but what difference does having Nike here really make? I see no benefit to that whatsoever.

 

[illmatic99]

More free shoes, more often! heh.

And he wouldn't have to fly across the country to meet with his execs.

 

[hasoos]

Get over it. It's not happening.

 

[Natebishop3]

I believe the term is spitballing.

 

[Minstrel]

According to most of my sources, LeBron James is headed for the PAC 10. One source does say that the SEC is wooing him, but it is "extremely unlikely at this time, as James craves the California and Texas markets and likes the PAC 10 expansion plan."

This is still breaking.

 

[The Professional Fan]

This is the dumbest shit ever.

 

[THE HCP]

Just throwin shit out CrapZano style hoping something sticks.

 

[THE HCP]

If Lebron's main motivation is to win a championship (like he claims) P-Town would be the best place for him.

 

[BrianFromWA]

A HEALTHY Oden at C is a better big-man fit with LBJ than anyone in the league, including Bosh and Boozer.

Miller and JPEC for Brand and #2.
LMA, Bayless, signed #2 pick S&T for LBJ

Would LBJ come to Portland, even to play with Oden and Roy and Batum with Rudy and Webster (and a max-MLE JJ Redick?) as shooters? Don't think so.

 

[Minstrel]

A HEALTHY Oden at C is a better big-man fit with LBJ than anyone in the league, including Bosh and Boozer.

Miller and JPEC for Brand and #2.
LMA, Bayless, signed #2 pick S&T for LBJ

I'd include Batum in order to get James. James/Roy/Oden is plenty to build around.

I agree, though, that James would not be interested in coming to Portland.

 

[oldguy]

According to my sources, the Blazers will give up Rudy and mythical cap space for LBJ. No Joke!

Go Blazers

 

[Nikolokolus]

Oh Sam Smith said this? You can take that to the bank ... and then dump it in the little waste paper recycling bin that they have for people who make typos on their deposit slips.

 

[LittleAlex]

If Lebron's main motivation is to win a championship (like he claims) P-Town would be the best place for him.

Sure. Really, his best bet is to come to a team with cronic health problems and whose current incarnation hasn't even made it out of the first round.



Or not. If he really only cares about winning he will force a sign and trade to the Lakers or he will go to Miami or the Bulls.

 

[mook]

Step 1: Decide to hitch ride to LeBron-a-pa-looza.
Step 2. Write source-less article dropping Portland's name.
Step 3. Watch traffic blast in as LeBron fans swarm to everything LeBron-related, and Portland fans swarm to everything Blazer-related.
Step 4. ?
Step 5. Profit!

 

[LameR]

"Brandon Roy is not good enough to win a championship with, because LeBron has obviously done so much by way of championships."

 

[BrianFromWA]

Step 1: Decide to hitch ride to LeBron-a-pa-looza.
Step 2. Write source-less article dropping Portland's name.
Step 3. Watch traffic blast in as LeBron fans swarm to everything LeBron-related, and Portland fans swarm to everything Blazer-related.
Step 4. ? Find dennycrane's magical mode of transforming post count into money
Step 5. Profit!

Fixed!

 

[ehizzy3]

i'd die of being to excited that id never get to see them win a ring

 

[B-Roy]

So, what are we talking about--Oden/Camby for Lebron? I think I'd do that.

wiow, i so shurre clevlnd wud jmp alz ova dat!!!! gr8 tr8de dood!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I'm just following Sam Smith's lead--no need to get all OddEnormous on me.

And if Cleveland was absolutely sure that Lebron was going elsewhere, do you think some other team would offer something more valuable than Oden in S&T?

 

[B-Roy]

I'm just following Sam Smith's lead--no need to get all OddEnormous on me.

And if Cleveland was absolutely sure that Lebron was going elsewhere, do you think some other team would offer something more valuable than Oden in S&T?

I think you have a very, very, very, very distorted view of how much Oden is worth to other teams.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I'm just following Sam Smith's lead--no need to get all OddEnormous on me.

And if Cleveland was absolutely sure that Lebron was going elsewhere, do you think some other team would offer something more valuable than Oden in S&T?

Who cares what Cleveland wants? If Lebron is set on leaving, the Cavs will settle for anything of value; they literally have no power in this arrangement, other than giving Lebron 6 years max vs. 5 years at a slightly lower % for some other team. I see almost no scenario where Lebron would want to go from one small market, midwest team, to a smaller market northwest team (ie. edge of the known universe).

 

[Sedatedfork]

Maybe you get a package that includes Ohio State’s Odom, the overall No. 1 pick a few years back whom every franchise was chasing, Rudy Fernandez and Nicholas Batum as part of a sign-and-trade

lol, very credible and knowledgable source.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

It'll take nine Mark Cubans to equal one Paul Allen but this is such a long shot.

First thing that popped in my mind when I read this article was 'Fucking Sam Smith *shakes head*' he's basing this off of pure assumption.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't think this is true. If LeBron agrees to a S&T (presumably to several teams), there will be a bidding war among those teams. Cleveland will just sit back as teams offer up everything they have to get LeBron. Any team that doesn't should be laughed at.

But what if the offers coming in essentially strip a team of the talent Lebron would theoretically want to go play with? If Lebron doesn't believe Cleveland can surround him with the talent to make him a champion he'll come up with a short list of two or maybe three teams he's willing to play for and he'll give the Cavs a chance to get a little bit of value, but there's no way he'd allow his destination team to gut itself to get him. Lebron holds all of the cards here.

 

[e_blazer]

Who cares what Cleveland wants? If Lebron is set on leaving, the Cavs will settle for anything of value; they literally have no power in this arrangement, other than giving Lebron 6 years max vs. 5 years at a slightly lower % for some other team. I see almost no scenario where Lebron would want to go from one small market, midwest team, to a smaller market northwest team (ie. edge of the known universe).

That part, IMO, is just plain wrong. LeBron can go to whatever team he chooses as long as it has cap space to sign him. If he does so, as you note, he'll take one year less and earn significantly less over the life of the contract. On the other hand, if he finds a team that he wants to go to that is willing to give the Cavs sufficient value in a sign-and-trade, he can get the longer term, higher dollar deal. From the Cavs' standpoint, they wiould weigh the value of whatever is offered back in the S&T deal vs. the prospect of becoming a FA player in this summer's bonanza season. They'd have enough cap space available if LBJ walks to sign a max dollar player of their own. They're not going to take somebody else's junk just to help give LeBron the extra dollars he wants.

As for LeBron coming here, I would agree with Sam Smith that the Blazers probably could make an offer that the Cavs would find very appealing, but I have a real hard time seeing LeBron putting Portland very high his list of potential landing spots. I still think the most likely thing is that he stays in Cleveland.

 

[Nikolokolus]

That part, IMO, is just plain wrong. LeBron can go to whatever team he chooses as long as it has cap space to sign him. If he does so, as you note, he'll take one year less and earn significantly less over the life of the contract. On the other hand, if he finds a team that he wants to go to that is willing to give the Cavs sufficient value in a sign-and-trade, he can get the longer term, higher dollar deal. From the Cavs' standpoint, they wiould weigh the value of whatever is offered back in the S&T deal vs. the prospect of becoming a FA player in this summer's bonanza season. They'd have enough cap space available if LBJ walks to sign a max dollar player of their own. They're not going to take somebody else's junk just to help give LeBron the extra dollars he wants.

As for LeBron coming here, I would agree with Sam Smith that the Blazers probably could make an offer that the Cavs would find very appealing, but I have a real hard time seeing LeBron putting Portland very high his list of potential landing spots. I still think the most likely thing is that he stays in Cleveland.

The Cavs are so far over the cap, that even if Lebron comes off their books, their available capspace is around 8 million; hardly the max money player you imply. Again, Lebron if he wants the full six years and slightly higher per year raises and wants to leave can ask for a sign and trade with his destination of choice, or he can leave the Cavs high and dry and make only slightly less money in salary and probably not feel too great of a pinch because of his vast and lucrative earnings from his endorsements.