OT: Report: Cavaliers make offer to Tom Izzo

[Scott May]

If you believe that the Cavs aren't giving Bron thumbs up / thumbs down on the coaching hire, then you have nothing to fear. We would be a lock to sign him.

I think that statement was made to remove James's fingerprints from the sword driven through the GM's and coach's back.

You can’t arbitrarily believe one report when it suits an anti-Bulls agenda and disbelieve another when it doesn’t.

I'm not sure how my opinion that Izzo wouldn't sign with the Cavs if he didn't have at least a strong inkling that LeBron would re-up constitutes an anti-Bulls agenda. But thanks for telling me what I can and can't believe and implying that everything has to be taken at face value one way or another.

[fleet]

eh, edit

[red222]

In my estimation, teams with best shot at LeBron go like this: 1. Cavs; 2. NY; 3. Everyone else.
1 minute ago via web

And I think the Bulls lost shot at LeBron when they hired Thibodeau. Sorry.
3 minutes ago via web

BTW, Avery Johnson gonna work in NJ? I like that hire. Hard to envision it swaying LeBron tho.
5 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/SamAmico

[fleet]

In my estimation, teams with best shot at LeBron go like this: 1. Cavs; 2. NY; 3. Everyone else.
1 minute ago via web

And I think the Bulls lost shot at LeBron when they hired Thibodeau. Sorry.
3 minutes ago via web

BTW, Avery Johnson gonna work in NJ? I like that hire. Hard to envision it swaying LeBron tho.
5 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/SamAmico

Amico has every reason to believe Lebron to the Knicks is Lebron's out of Cleveland destination. There have been so many media rumor reports lately linking him to NY while the rest of the NBA has been shut out of the Lebron rumors. And after all, Its NEW YAWK, COME AWN!

By the way red222, why is this in the Izzo thread?

[RyGuy24]

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Gilbert already seemed to pull the sword from the stone once when he got Ohio to approve casinos after numerous failed attempts. He just may be on the verge of doing it again.

Sources have told The Plain Dealer that Michigan State players left a meeting with Tom Izzo Tuesday night believing he was going to leave to accept Gilbert's offer to become the next Cavaliers coach. Izzo didn't tell them that, he called the meeting to acknowledge reports that he'd been offered the job, but players left afraid they were about to lose their coach.

Several other sources, however, indicated Izzo hadn't made his final decision as of Wednesday afternoon.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf ... eliev.html

[fleet]

^^^you mean to tell me basketball players were listening intently to their coach and then made false statements to "insiders" because they can't separate "feelings" from what the coach actually said?
I thought athletes were smarter than that.

[Rerisen]

I truly don't believe Tom Izzo (or any coach not named Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich or Pat Riley) is worthy enough to sway LeBron to stay with a worse team than he has now.

If Izzo was dithering in the first place, it was probably because LeBron wasn't a lock to return. Also, LeBron has been rumored to have been 'distant' so far in his contact with the Cavs.

Therefore, if Izzo signs, I don't believe its because LeBron immediately made up his mind out of nowhere to come back just for Tom Izzo.

Izzo doesn't put the Cavs very much closer to a title. For that the Cavs need to improve their roster. And they haven't done that in between the time this coaching search is going on.

So if Izzo accepts, I think it has more to do with the money and *hoping* LeBron is coming back.

And *if* it were to be true that all it takes to get LeBron is Tom Izzo, then why wouldn't that have been made known to other (more well built) teams by World Wide Wes and crew, so that NJ, L.A.C, and Chicago could run out and offer him money to net LeBron?

[PlayoffRose]

I have said it before.

If the 30 mil over 5 years offer is legit, he will take the offer, with or without LBJ.

Tripling your annual salary is a lot of money regardless of your legacy and other crap. At the end of the day, Tom Izzo is only human and only cares about himself, his family, and his luxuries.

Do you honestly think that Tom Izzo is even dragging this out if the offer is legit and LBJ will resign with the Cavs? Come on now...

He would be driving to Gilbert door at this moment, asking to sign on the dotted line.

[Sonny_D1]

Don't know if this has been posted or not:

Waitingfornextyear.com, a Cavaliers blog, is reporting that Tom Izzo will in fact leave Michigan State to become the next coach of the Cavs.
Izzo will reportedly wait until the end of the week to make the announcement, but it sounds like he's already told some of his players that he is leaving. Things could change between now and Friday, but it sounds like Izzo will indeed coach the Cavaliers next season, after getting an offer he couldn't refuse. Jun. 9 - 7:13 pm et
Source: Waitingfornextyear.com

Sources close to WFNY have informed us that Tom Izzo has told his players at Michigan State that he plans on taking the Cavaliers job. Our sources have heard directly from players on the MSU team that Izzo informed them this week that he is planning on making the move up to the NBA level under the ownership of MSU grad Dan Gilbert. We have also heard from a separate source that Izzo is holding off on announcing this until the end of the week, when his kids finish up school in the Lansing area.

http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=29584

[red222]

In my estimation, teams with best shot at LeBron go like this: 1. Cavs; 2. NY; 3. Everyone else.
1 minute ago via web

And I think the Bulls lost shot at LeBron when they hired Thibodeau. Sorry.
3 minutes ago via web

BTW, Avery Johnson gonna work in NJ? I like that hire. Hard to envision it swaying LeBron tho.
5 minutes ago via web

http://twitter.com/SamAmico

Amico has every reason to believe Lebron to the Knicks is Lebron's out of Cleveland destination. There have been so many media rumor reports lately linking him to NY while the rest of the NBA has been shut out of the Lebron rumors. And after all, Its NEW YAWK, COME AWN!

By the way red222, why is this in the Izzo thread?

since this is the active thread of the day i decided to post it here i will move it

[PlayoffRose]

Yup, the money is too great.

At the end of the day, it is all about the money.

An extra 4 mil per year is no joke, regardless of the guy's net worth. If he fails, he could still go back to the NCAA rank and still earn 2 mil/year.

[fleet]

Don't know if this has been posted or not:

Waitingfornextyear.com, a Cavaliers blog, is reporting that Tom Izzo will in fact leave Michigan State to become the next coach of the Cavs.
Izzo will reportedly wait until the end of the week to make the announcement, but it sounds like he's already told some of his players that he is leaving. Things could change between now and Friday, but it sounds like Izzo will indeed coach the Cavaliers next season, after getting an offer he couldn't refuse. Jun. 9 - 7:13 pm et
Source: Waitingfornextyear.com

Sources close to WFNY have informed us that Tom Izzo has told his players at Michigan State that he plans on taking the Cavaliers job. Our sources have heard directly from players on the MSU team that Izzo informed them this week that he is planning on making the move up to the NBA level under the ownership of MSU grad Dan Gilbert. We have also heard from a separate source that Izzo is holding off on announcing this until the end of the week, when his kids finish up school in the Lansing area.

http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=29584

yes, it was. Since this posting, there have been contradictory stories, one from ESPN reporting that it was players meeting where Izzo told his players that he was being pursued by the Cavs and he was considering the offers. Some of this guys's sources apparently were the players who embellished what IZZO said. The other sources about the later announcement who knows? I'm not dismissing the idea though.

[waffle]

I am surprised if he takes the job. BUT it doesn't change that even with Bron that is not a great team. Bron has the talent to make even muck competitive, but if he is really interested in titles? Not any time soon.

But, I've always said he was going back to Clev.

[DuckIII]

I'm with Scott May 100% on this one - in that we are making our best guess.

The question isn't whether Izzo is enough to "lure" LeBron. The question is whether LeBron is enough to lure Izzo, whereas the money isn't.

I simply do not believe Izzo would doom himself to a **** program. Even at that pay grade. And Scott's reasoning is my own: He doesn't have to. He'll have chances over and over and over again to make the jump. To better programs with better futures. Case in point: The Bulls, with a highly sought after position, offered him their job.

The most logical conclusion here is that, if Izzo takes the job, he's doing it because he firmly believes, based on good information, that LeBron is returning to Cleveland.

If Sacramento offered Coach K $6 million a year, he'd laugh. And so would Izzo. And Cleveland without LeBron wishes like hell it was Sacramento.

This is all about LeBron, in my opinion.

[JackFinn]

The Bulls, with a highly sought after position, offered him their job.

Has this been confirmed?

[PlayoffRose]

Coach K is being paid 4 mil/year from Duke.

If Sacramento offers Coach K 12 mil/year for 5 years, he would take it.

[fleet]

right Duck, Izzo is not going to leave a possible National champion just for a pay raise today that he can get at any time in the future. And he wouldn't leave the program in a lurch without a coach in that situation unless it was for once in a lifetime chance rare chance to coach a player like Lebron. Its Lebron or bust. The day Izzo takes the job Lebron is off the market.

as an aside, MSU alumni must be pretty ticked at Gilbert.

[DuckIII]

The Bulls, with a highly sought after position, offered him their job.

Has this been confirmed?

Its been reported. Regardless, its collateral to my point.

[Rerisen]

I'm with Scott May 100% on this one - in that we are making our best guess.

The question isn't whether Izzo is enough to "lure" LeBron. The question is whether LeBron is enough to lure Izzo, whereas the money isn't.

I simply do not believe Izzo would doom himself to a **** program. Even at that pay grade. And Scott's reasoning is my own: He doesn't have to. He'll have chances over and over and over again to make the jump. To better programs with better futures.

The most logical conclusion here is that, if Izzo takes the job, he's doing it because he firmly believes, based on good information, that LeBron is returning to Cleveland.

If Sacramento offered Coach K $6 million a year, he'd laugh. And so would Izzo. And Cleveland without LeBron wishes like hell it was Sacramento.

This is all about LeBron, in my opinion.

If it's all about LeBron, and assurances about LeBron coming back, then why didn't Izzo just accept on the spot? Because it's a no brainer choice to accept the job if LeBron is coming back and he's going to be paid double what he is making.

Then we have to believe that LeBron went from previously giving no clues to Cleveland, and not having Izzo as a prerequisite, to suddenly changing his opinion mid-stream, that he now suddenly wants to return to the Cavs just because of Izzo. I just don't think LeBron rates any coach, esp a college one unproven at the NBA level, as the main thing in determining whether Cleveland is worthy or not.

From all signs I read from LeBron he is operating on a level so much bigger than that. You don't go on Larry King to milk your own importance and let rumors simmer about a 'world tour of destinations' only to just meekly return to the Cavs because they hired Tom Izzo.

[DuckIII]

Coach K is being paid 4 mil/year from Duke.

If Sacramento offers Coach K 12 mil/year for 5 years, he would take it.

No he wouldn't.