OT: 2010 FA Thread (Latest: Haywood, $55/6 to Dallas)

[Gek]

This thread is to discuss what goes down outside of the LA Lakers - we all know we aren't getting James or Wade, but why not have fun talking about the success and failures of other teams?


I'm going to start this out with this article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... nets063010

LeBron James wants the world, and the 6-foot-9 owner capable of staring him in the eye will walk into his first free-agent meeting on Thursday and offer it. The Nets will offer him the borough of Brooklyn and pledge to overtake the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden. They’ll promise him a vision of turning the franchise into a global basketball destination. Two self-made global moguls, Prokhorov and minority owner Jay-Z, will come calling to convince James to join up and make it a threesome.

This Prohkorov guy and Jay-Z make an imposing tandem. Prohkorov is said to be worth over 15 billion and is going to offer Lebron a chance to make the same globally. I have a feeling this combined with the billboard and everything else was planned timing wise. It will make this whole race for LBJ interesting, especially if they can get Boozer or Amare to ride along to NJ with Favors, Harris and Lopez.




If there is already a thread about this, please merge.

[stunnar0b]

if i was james i would join up with jay z and homeboy and make billions cause it obvious he aint winning $h!% for a while

[RaePingYu]

Watson would like to play for Lakers

Add Earl Watson to the list of the point guards the Lakers are taking a strong look at, a league source said.

Watson lives in the Los Angeles area with his actress wife, and his first preference would be to sign with the Lakers, the source said. The Lakers are high on Steve Blake, but would prefer to not spend their entire midlevel exception, possibly making Watson an affordable option.

maybe we can get him for cheap.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AhOJ.yLbmzYjDE7EAl6PQaO8vLYF?slug=ys-freeagentbuzz063010

[KingLakers]

Steve Blake made about 5m this past season looking at his numbers he won't make that again.

[TonyMontana]

G K I thought we already had an official FA thread?? I think this one is the unofficial one.

[laduane1]

We can not afford any free agents. Buss said there is no money to be used.

[MagicMamba88]

Lakers Get On the Phone With Derek Fisher

They want the veteran point guard back, but at a discount. Brian Shaw withdraws his name from consideration for the coaching job in Cleveland.

By Mike Bresnahan and Broderick Turner

10:50 PM PDT, June 30, 2010

The clock struck midnight on the East Coast, and the scramble began for too many teams to sensibly list in one sentence.

The Lakers, meanwhile, had their own issues on which to dwell Wednesday night, none of them including the frenzy surrounding LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

They called the agent for Derek Fisher right after free agency began and expressed interest in having the 14-year-veteran return for another run at a championship.

Fisher is the main free-agent concern for a team that is well over the salary cap but definitely wants him back without going too far beyond a $2.5-million deal for next season. Fisher, 35, wants to make closer to the $5 million he earned this past season.

The Lakers and Fisher did not agree to terms Wednesday, but there was definitive movement involving two Lakers' reserve guards earlier in the day.

Shannon Brown officially opted out of a contract that would have paid him $2.15 million next season, making him an unrestricted free agent., and the Lakers decided not to tender a qualifying offer of about $3 million to Jordan Farmar, making him an unrestricted free agent who can also sign wherever he wants.

Just the same, the Lakers called the agent for Brown within minutes of the advent of free agency to also express interest in re-signing him.

. . .

[KingLakers]

Reading that LA Times article I get the feeling that Shannon is as totally gone as people thought before. Also I think FIsher and the Lakers will come to agreement somewhere between 2.5m and 5m maybe 3.5m and I think the same will go to Shannon. If the Lakers resign both Fisher, and Shannon I think they'll just add Livingston for the minimum and add Caracter to replace Powell, Ebanks or Kelati as the third SF maybe eventually primary backup to Artest and finally just add a young C to replace Benga.

[Gek]

This was intended for non-Laker discussion...

[b shaw20]

The Bulls offer LJ the best chance to win "now" while allowing him to be "the man".

The Miami option is a sexy option, but not sure it creates the better TEAM. This aside, you are askin both alpha dogs to share the spotlight but at the end of the day, there has to be a pecking order and Wade would have to play Robin to LJ's Batman for it to work. Does anyone believe Wade will stop pulling his "this is my house" rants after a game winner?

Or put it this way, men typically want to have their own car to drive. How would you like to have to share it with another dude? Egos this size are not put aside with players in their prime and to ask 3 such egos to take paycuts to boot, I don't see it happening.

LeBron staying in Cle @ 60%, Chi 30%, NJ 5%, Mia 5%

[Gek]

Chicago is the smartest destination if 'Bron wants to win a ring, but I think the Nets would be the most exciting destination for him.

[Gek]

Nets arrived a few minutes ago. Brought a bunch of luggage on cart and large computer box, ready for presentation.

I would love to hear these presentations.

[Gek]

Read this twitter.

http://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider

[H00PDREAMS]

Dooode Gooden just ripped off the Bucks! LOL! No way Shannon is going to stay when teams are throwing that kind of money!

Josh Childress is being approached by the Celtics according to ESPN radio.

[Gek]

Yeah... Gooden raped the bucks. That Darko signing could be a good deal

Always knew this would be surreal. It is. James Dolan, Allan Houston, Donnie Walsh, Mike D'Antoni plus about 4 other execs in Knick party


Knicks arrive in 4, count 'em, 4 cars. They literally passed Jay-Z's car as hd left building.


Jay-Z has not left yet, Nets car waiting for him to head to airport. A private meeting with LeBron?


Nets had folders with LeBron's face integrated into logo

This guy is a source for HoopsHype
http://twitter.com/PDcavsinsider

[Gek]

Thanks to his tireless efforts, the Rockets’ GM pulled another rabbit out of his hat by bucking the odds and somehow securing a face-to-face meeting with his target. Using a personalized Chris Bosh iPad as part of his presentation, Morey showed the 6- 10 Texas-native video testimonials from the likes of Yao Ming, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Elvin Hayes. He also focused on the Rockets’ incredible depth and tremendous supporting cast – perhaps the two key components of Houston’s pitch which sets it apart from the rest of the teams playing the free agent field. In talking to Morey after the fact, it was clear he felt positively about both the meeting and the Rockets’ chances going forward. You can’t ask for a much better start to the free agent frenzy than that. Via NBA.com

These meetings have to be ridiculous.

[Gek]

http://store.nba.com/product/index.jsp? ... cp=1421535

/edit - nevermind, that's a customized jersey, although the official preview is the James version.

[Gek]

The Milwaukee Bucks have had one of the best offseasons of any team in the league, and they are close to pulling off another surprising move. The Bucks are on the verge of re-signing guard John Salmons, one of the top shooting guards available in free agency -- and thought to be on the move after opting out of his deal last month -- to a five-year, $39 million contract. The deal also includes $5 million in potential bonuses, according to a source, and two league sources say the Bucks have a buyout option for the fifth season.

Via David Aldridge.

[KingLakers]

Drew Gooden has much better numbers than Shannon the deal he got is a MLE deal no team will give Shannon the MLE.

[H00PDREAMS]

Drew Gooden has much better numbers than Shannon the deal he got is a MLE deal no team will give Shannon the MLE.

Ummm I guess, but goodness seems like Gooden won the lottery to me.