New York Knicks: Get Lebron James or Bust!!

[vashtinone]

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Once the New York Knicks had declared themselves for the Summer of LeBron, a sudden and stunning unloading of contracts to clear salary-cap space, a Cleveland Cavaliers executive grumbled to his peers in the front office on Friday: “Who is he going to play with there?”

For all the fear and loathing over losing LeBron, the Cavs have never been so scared of the Knicks. Yes, general manager Danny Ferry is mortified over James leaving in 2010. He doesn’t run around like his owner, Dan Gilbert, and tell people the speculation is the product of bored sportswriters. Ferry knows all the angles on James’ possible push out of town, and lives to narrow them.

So yes, the Cavs worry about Jay-Z and the New Jersey Nets’ proposed move to Brooklyn. They worry about Joe Dumars and the Detroit Pistons, and they worry about Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.

They’re terrified that they’ll lose LeBron, and that he’ll do to them what losing Shaquille O’Neal did to pro basketball in Orlando.

All things considered, the Cavs don’t doubt that James will walk out the door.

They’ve just not thought that it would be for the Knicks.

“They think New York is a joke,” one NBA GM said Friday.

The Cavs understand that bright lights and big stage of Madison Square Garden and Madison Avenue are formidable for a generational talent that sees himself a lot more like a global brand, than a hometown basketball star. They know something else, too: New York just thrust a lot more pressure on itself to sign James than Cleveland has to keep him.

Once Donnie Walsh traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford on Friday – eliminating $27 million in salary for the summer of 2010 – everything changed for the Knicks general manager. The Knicks won’t just have the cap space to sign James, but give him his Scottie Pippen, too. Who is he going to play with? Well, the plan is Toronto’s Chris Bosh. The Knicks can offer two full boats.

So now, the pressure comes like no one’s ever witnessed with the New York Knicks. After all, they don’t raise banners for cap space. They don’t throw parades.

The world expects the Knicks to get James. New York treats it like a birthright. NBA commissioner David Stern didn’t push James Dolan to hire Walsh because the NBA doesn’t want its biggest stars in its biggest markets. Kobe Bryant stayed in Los Angeles. Now, the NBA wants the Knicks to matter again. Only James can make that happen.

There’s no Plan B for the Knicks.

Dwyane Wade won’t do.

This is LeBron or bust.

Walsh has everything to offer James but maybe the most important element: A credible, winning program. James wants to be an immortal. He needs to win championships. Between now and then, Kobe Bryant could be working on his fourth NBA title, maybe his fifth, and James has no time to wait on the construction of a contender.

“When I decide to make the decision, it’s going to basically put me in a position where I feel like I can win multiple championships,” James said.

He’ll need a running buddy to do it, and that’s why the recruitment of Bosh will be so crucial. Nevertheless, the Knicks need to make dramatic changes over the next two years. Mike D’Antoni has done a fabulous job of bringing purpose and passion back to the court, but this Stephon Marbury mess was thrust upon him and it’s reflected lousily on everyone. James has to be watching this circus and saying: How are they serious about winning when they’ll let this clown show go on and on?

D’Antoni offered Marbury a chance to play his first minutes of the season in Milwaukee on Friday night, but his exiled point guard declined. He just told him no. The Knicks are considering banishing Marbury for the insubordination, one league source said. “They would just give him the [Jamaal] Tinsley treatment.” That would be suspending him until they’re able to negotiate his buyout, or the season ends. All in all, D’Antoni was delivered a dysfunctional circumstance that’s left people privately doubting management’s seriousness in chasing a championship culture.

So, the Knicks cleared out salary-cap space, and turned toward 2010 and declared themselves for LeBron James. That’s nice and all, but there are no banners for cap space. Donnie Walsh is on the clock.

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports.

Dghana nag.ilog ni LBJ oi.. hehehe.. sugot ba kaha ang cavs ani..

[radiostar]

bugo cguro ang cavs kung ilang e hatag si james

[Motownkid]

depende jud cguro ni kung apason sa Cavs ang millions nga i-offer sa laing teams..

pwerte man pod dghanang superstars nga ma-free agent inig 2010. Pero si LeBron jud ang gukdonon.

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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 - just signed an extension lately

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!) - LOL on this
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

hoopsworld

[lunateec22]

Grabeh jud ug hype ning Lebron James to New York oi. NBA's got the needed attention it always wanted. Of course, di man jud na basta2x makuha ug lain team si James kay, like Knicks, the Cavaliers have only 4 players (worth mentioning) under contract through the 2010 season.

Mo Williams
JJ Hickson
Delonte West
Daniel Gibson

Unlike the Knicks, the Cavs don't have an Eddy Curry in their hands that most GM's in the league does not want in their own team. The Knicks have enough time to unload Curry though if they want to totally rebuild.

This does not mean that the Cavaliers will not pull the trigger into dealing with other teams to create capspace also. They have some expiring contracts to trade for if they want draft picks also but that's a backup plan.

Now, Cleveland may not have the same marketability as with New York but, I'm just saying, that if this whole things happens, they are not going to give up James without a fight. The obvious plan would be, shed as much salary as possible to get enough 1-2 all-star caliber players to help James and to eventually convince him to stay.

Both clubs have identical salary payables today and should be able to pry James into joining whichever team gets the fair, or the most ridiculous amount of "attention" they can give. Furthermore, if other teams (big market or not) decide to join the affair, they can always make the competition tougher. After all, if whatever team/s can't get Lebron, they can always pry the other free agents.

It's just another buzzing event for the NBA (National Business Association)

[aykiman]

si david stern kai nag-ampo jud na mahimong knick si lebron para mas dako na ang market sa NBA...