Marv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:When are people going to realize this summer is ALL about the money with these guys this summer. This could be the last big deal for alot of these guys. Do you really expect Wade or Joe Johnson to get max deals after their contracts this summer? Lebron and Bosh will be 30 yrs old at the end of a 6 year deal. So maybe they take less. However I doubt Bosh, who wears a knee brace, forgos that 6th yr to play with Lebron if he can go somewhere else he likes and get that 6th yr. I see Bosh having a Jermaine Oneal fall off in a few years due to his suspect knee.

you're talking about a POTENTIAL salary differential for one year of their careers. they may indeed be willing to put that up on the board for the chance to play for at least 5 years with a fellow star player in nyc.

You talk like 1 yr of max money is chump change. I suggest you take a look at Jermaine O'neal. Do you think he would have got a deal near 20 million if he had signed for a year less? You cannot predict the future and with the new CBA on the horizon that 6th year just looks better and better. NBA contracts are GUARANTEED. Endorsements arent, just ask Kobe.

Show me an example of a player taking a year less of salary to play with another star player? The only players available who have remained pretty much injury free their entire careers are Lebron and Joe Johnson. The problem with Johnson is he is 5 yr older than Lebron and both like to pound the ball. Also they both are perimeter players.

martin wrote:

Marv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:When are people going to realize this summer is ALL about the money with these guys this summer. This could be the last big deal for alot of these guys. Do you really expect Wade or Joe Johnson to get max deals after their contracts this summer? Lebron and Bosh will be 30 yrs old at the end of a 6 year deal. So maybe they take less. However I doubt Bosh, who wears a knee brace, forgos that 6th yr to play with Lebron if he can go somewhere else he likes and get that 6th yr. I see Bosh having a Jermaine Oneal fall off in a few years due to his suspect knee.

you're talking about a POTENTIAL salary differential for one year of their careers. they may indeed be willing to put that up on the board for the chance to play for at least 5 years with a fellow star player in nyc.

right, not to mention a player opt after 3 years, and a shiny, new max deal.

Once again you are expecting some of these guys to risk injury and the unknowns of the new CBA for a chance to play with another star. You are talking about potentially leaving 45+ million dollars to chance. Come on now.

Bosh cares about Bosh and will do what is best for Bosh financially.

Lebron cares about Lebron and will do what is best for Lebron financially.

Wade cares about Wade and will do what is best for Wade financially.

Johnson cares about Johnson and will do what is best for Johnson financially.

You think Bosh loves Lebron so much that he will not accept 6yrs at the max to play in Houston or LA. Get real.

AnubisADL wrote:

Marv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:When are people going to realize this summer is ALL about the money with these guys this summer. This could be the last big deal for alot of these guys. Do you really expect Wade or Joe Johnson to get max deals after their contracts this summer? Lebron and Bosh will be 30 yrs old at the end of a 6 year deal. So maybe they take less. However I doubt Bosh, who wears a knee brace, forgos that 6th yr to play with Lebron if he can go somewhere else he likes and get that 6th yr. I see Bosh having a Jermaine Oneal fall off in a few years due to his suspect knee.

you're talking about a POTENTIAL salary differential for one year of their careers. they may indeed be willing to put that up on the board for the chance to play for at least 5 years with a fellow star player in nyc.

You talk like 1 yr of max money is chump change. I suggest you take a look at Jermaine O'neal. Do you think he would have got a deal near 20 million if he had signed for a year less? You cannot predict the future and with the new CBA on the horizon that 6th year just looks better and better. NBA contracts are GUARANTEED. Endorsements arent, just ask Kobe.

Show me an example of a player taking a year less of salary to play with another star player? The only players available who have remained pretty much injury free their entire careers are Lebron and Joe Johnson. The problem with Johnson is he is 5 yr older than Lebron and both like to pound the ball. Also they both are perimeter players.

it could easily happen. we'll all find out in a few months. and believe me it won’t matter a single bit if it has or hasn’t happened in the past. that's a pretty small-minded argument. fortunately creativity can overrule fear of change.

martin wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:

martin wrote:

Marv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:When are people going to realize this summer is ALL about the money with these guys this summer. This could be the last big deal for alot of these guys. Do you really expect Wade or Joe Johnson to get max deals after their contracts this summer? Lebron and Bosh will be 30 yrs old at the end of a 6 year deal. So maybe they take less. However I doubt Bosh, who wears a knee brace, forgos that 6th yr to play with Lebron if he can go somewhere else he likes and get that 6th yr. I see Bosh having a Jermaine Oneal fall off in a few years due to his suspect knee.

you're talking about a POTENTIAL salary differential for one year of their careers. they may indeed be willing to put that up on the board for the chance to play for at least 5 years with a fellow star player in nyc.

right, not to mention a player opt after 3 years, and a shiny, new max deal.

Once again you are expecting some of these guys to risk injury and the unknowns of the new CBA for a chance to play with another star. You are talking about potentially leaving 45+ million dollars to chance. Come on now.

if it's injury risk, they would have already signed contracts.

You dont see "young" stars getting hurt. Guys start breaking down in their mid to late 20's. Who would have predicted Tracy McGrady would have fell of this much athletically? Look at guys like Marbury and Francis. No way they would have gotten the max with their diminished athleticism.

TMS wrote:

Marv wrote:
it could easily happen. we'll all find out in a few months. and believe me it won’t matter a single bit if it has or hasn’t happened in the past. that's a pretty small-minded argument. fortunately creativity can overrule fear of change.

fk'in right

martin wrote:

s3231 wrote:I think a lot of people have this belief that LeBron and/or Bosh will just magically sign with the Knicks without us giving up any assets. I don't see that happening at all. If LeBron does come here, does everyone really think he is going to screw Cleveland over 100% and just come without a sign and trade? Say goodbye to at least Wilson Chandler, Bill Walker, etc.

Which is why I was pretty concerned when Donnie put all of those assets in that Hill trade. Still, I'm hoping he must know something we don't to overpay to that degree.

I guess that would depend on your perspective.

All of the guys that are top tier are earning somewhere in the $13M+ per for at least 3 years. If all they want is the most amount of money in their contracts (near term winning championship, city, long term winning potential aside), they would stay with their current teams. Right? Cause they can offer the most. If it's the contract and the money they want, they could have signed long ago (if management indeed has offered). Kobe just signed, no reason LeBron couldn't have along with the rest. Perhaps Wade is the lone exception cause there is great uncertainly with that roster, but for the most part, each of the other guys - LeBron, Johnson, Amare, Dirk, Yao, Bosh - their teams (for all practical purposes) are pretty much locked in roster-wise.

So why haven't they signed extensions? Perhaps they are not 100% content with the championship potential (both short and long term) or just want change; the flip side is that they want to put pressure on management to upgrade roster (nearly impossible in most of the cases re my point above).

If there is a chance any of them want to move teams (and still want their new teams to be the best that they can), I don't know how or why they would want to entertain sign-and-trades that would drain their new team of young players (assets) or feel sorry for their old team VERSUS CONSIDERING just outright signing with their new team, especially with NY with their gobs of cap space. Like I said, if it's the long term money, just stay with your old team (but that hasn't happened). If it's for the potential of a better long term team, no reason to force your new team to give up players.

My premise and thinking is that most of these guys have already earned a butt-load of money and are more interested in the championship thing than outright maximizing money with next contract (which IMHO are a little bit contradictory except with Jordan, Kobe, Duncan situations).

Martin, I agree that if LeBron and Bosh decide to come to NY, nothing will stand in their way. But especially in LeBron's case, considering he grew up in Ohio, wouldn't you think that there would be more motivation to get a sign and trade done that would at least get Cleveland an asset or two while ensuring that he gets the most money possible? It's a win-win situation for both he and Cleveland. If LeBron comes here with Bosh, I don't think LeBron is going to feel that the Knicks giving up Chandler and Walker is depleting the roster. These guys are stars and like any stars, they have egos. If they both join forces and come to NY, they have to know that they can easily draw free agents to come to NY for the min that will probably be as effective as guys like Chandler.

That's just my opinion though, doesn't mean I believe I'm 100% right. If I was in their shoes though, I would probably try to get a sign and trade done if that was a viable option (which seems to be the case going by Colangelo's response).

AnubisADL wrote:

martin wrote:

Marv wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:When are people going to realize this summer is ALL about the money with these guys this summer. This could be the last big deal for alot of these guys. Do you really expect Wade or Joe Johnson to get max deals after their contracts this summer? Lebron and Bosh will be 30 yrs old at the end of a 6 year deal. So maybe they take less. However I doubt Bosh, who wears a knee brace, forgos that 6th yr to play with Lebron if he can go somewhere else he likes and get that 6th yr. I see Bosh having a Jermaine Oneal fall off in a few years due to his suspect knee.

you're talking about a POTENTIAL salary differential for one year of their careers. they may indeed be willing to put that up on the board for the chance to play for at least 5 years with a fellow star player in nyc.

right, not to mention a player opt after 3 years, and a shiny, new max deal.

Once again you are expecting some of these guys to risk injury and the unknowns of the new CBA for a chance to play with another star. You are talking about potentially leaving 45+ million dollars to chance. Come on now.

Bosh cares about Bosh and will do what is best for Bosh financially.

Lebron cares about Lebron and will do what is best for Lebron financially.

Wade cares about Wade and will do what is best for Wade financially.

Johnson cares about Johnson and will do what is best for Johnson financially.

You think Bosh loves Lebron so much that he will not accept 6yrs at the max to play in Houston or LA. Get real.

Sangfroid wrote:

If they both join forces and come to NY, they have to know that they can easily draw free agents to come to NY for the min

Sorry, this flies in the face of some pretty strong arguements that all of these players are in it for themselves. Even the self-righteous McGrady is blowin' smoke when he tells you this. ring.The only exceptions have been aging stars signing on as hired guns, looking for that last shot at a ring

I think stackhouse signed up for the $...theres no way he thought the bucks were contenders

knicks1248 wrote:wait a minute is stack with the bucks

yes