From RealGM:By Christopher Reina
According to two sources with knowledge of the thinking within the inner circle of LeBron James, the Chicago Bulls were a late addition to the list of teams he would genuinely consider in order to establish an alternative to the New York Knicks should he decide to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer.
There are three distinct components and motivations behind the strategy:
The first is to quell the loud rumors that James has had strong interest in signing with the Knicks as a free agent, which had been building for almost two years and were perceived to be on the verge of spiraling out of control after the Celtics knocked the Cavaliers out of the playoffs. Indeed, the New York chatter had literally become a chorus when the Boston crowd serenaded James with “New York Knicks” chants moments before the Cavaliers were eliminated in Game 6.
The second is a legitimate concern that although playing in New York would be the most exciting basketball experience for LeBron and hold the greatest business potential, it may also prove to be an exhausting and complicated endeavor. LeBron's confidantes are comfortable in their current roles and are concerned that the New York atmosphere could be overwhelming, perhaps upsetting the balance of power that surrounds James. Should James decide to end his time in Cleveland, Chicago offers a big-market alternative to the Knicks with what some close to James view as less risk than New York, as well as a Midwestern atmosphere that would be more familiar to them.
The third is that James has expressly given his team wide leeway to manage his affairs as they see fit and explore the full range of possibilities ahead of July 1. The thinking is that by making it known that Chicago is also a viable destination, James and his team will be able to secure the best terms once he is finally ready to make a decision. This primarily relates to outside business deals that LeBron's team has been exploring since his season ended, but could also involve greater leverage over the team operations of whichever club James chooses.
It is difficult to say which is the prevailing purpose among the three, and that answer may vary depending on the opinion of each member of James’ inner circle. But LeBron's team has been savvy about calculating their efforts to make it known that New York is not the only – or even the most likely – destination should James depart Cleveland. These efforts have been implemented by way of frequent discussion from one member of James’ team about the potential of LeBron choosing the Bulls, or by calculated leaks to the media from another member. Much of the latter has taken the form of anonymous information provided to select members of the national media
In addition, one source maintains that LeBron has developed deep trust in the opinions of at least two significant figures – Warren Buffett and Jimmy Iovine – who are officially outside of his now-famous team. The same source claims that one of these two high-profile advisors to James stated, during a business meeting approximately two months ago, that LeBron would sign with the Knicks this summer. It is important to note, however, that this statement was made prior to the Chicago speculation that has dominated ‘The LeBron Watch’ ever since the Cavaliers were eliminated from the playoffs.
Both sources insist that LeBron will make an independent decision about whether he stays in Cleveland or signs elsewhere.
James himself provided clues about his mindset during an interview with Larry King on May 31. James said he will make the final call on which team he signs a contract with this summer, and indicated that discussions with other top free agents could be a key part of the process.
“It will be fun to get all the free agents together and, you know, figure out a way how we can make the league better ... you may be able to pair with a - with a group or one or two guys and - and better that franchise and guys better these franchises,” James told King.
“If you put me and Bosh on the same team, if you put me and Dwayne Wade on the same team, a lot of teams would be much better,” James said.
At present, only the Knicks and Heat will have enough salary cap room to offer two maximum-salary contracts. The Bulls could conceivably acquire Bosh or Wade in a sign-and-trade with the Raptors or Heat respectively, though they would almost certainly be forced to send Joakim Noah in return.
Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67123/20100610/sources_bulls_were_late_addition_to_lebrons_list/#ixzz0qUkNPZsP
And then, of course, there's also this...
From RealGM:A source tells Chad Ford of ESPN that contrary to the speculation of some, LeBron James does not view Michael Jordan's legacy as a negative in his decision on whether or not to join the Bulls.
"That's not how LeBron sees it, according to a source familiar with his thinking," wrote Ford. "Rather than a deterrent, LeBron seems to see Jordan's imprint on the Bulls as an enticement -- not as a legacy to fear but as one to consider joining."
Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67124/20100610/source_lebron_not_deterred_by_mjs_legacy_in_chicago/#ixzz0qUl2txHH
More grist for the mill.
6/7/2010 5:40 PM
