Full Court Press: Why LeBron Should Leave and Other Free Agency Matters

Columns, Top Story

In case you haven’t noticed over the past few months, I love the NBA.  I love the games.  I love the players.  I love the playoffs.  I even love the offseasons.  And with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and Amare Stoudemire on the market (and that’s not even the whole list), this NBA offseason promises to be one of the most interesting in years.  Eight high caliber free agents.  Eight.  Even if most of these guys don’t leave their teams, there are dozens of possible outcomes.

First off, some critical news.  The man everybody wants to know about has made his decision.  The wait is over.

Yes, Darko Milicic has re-signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, christening the free agency period.  Ladies and gentlemen, give the T-Wolves a hand.  Always a pleasure guys.  Really.

Now, the most scrutinized man in the world:  LeBron James.  Everybody is waiting for his decision.  Writers, fans, executives, coaches, Heads of State, even fellow free agents (especially Chris Bosh).  Considering LeBron’s talent and young age, as well as the 24/7 media coverage that follows him, I think we can say that his free agency is the most hyped ever.  The Nets and Knicks have already flown to Ohio to meet with the golden boy, and the Clippers, Heat, Bulls and Cavs are soon to follow.  The Nets talked with James for 90 minutes.  The Knicks topped them by negotiating with him for two hours.  I wonder how much time they spent on their knees begging.

This is unbelievable.  You have no idea what I would give to be in the room during these negotiations.  All parties involved are keeping relatively mum on the subject, especially LeBron himself, who is decidedly mute.  Nobody knows where he will go, even him.

Fortunately, I’m here to help.  For starters, I’m going to reiterate that James should not re-sign with Cleveland.

Cleveland is hoping that LeBron’s loyalty will keep him in a Cavs uniform.  Please.  James may be loyal, but he’s also a business man, a self-promoter and an aspiring global icon.  Let’s just say that Cleveland is not the place to thrive as any of those things.

Cleveland has wasted the first seven years of LeBron’s career.  There, I said it.  He was an MVP candidate by his third year, but the Cavs were playoff flameouts even in the weak Eastern Conference.  They lucked their way into a finals appearance in 2007, then stood back, ignoring their teams flaws and hoping Boobie Gibson and Drew Gooden could be Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.  When Boston and Orlando quickly improved, the Cavs were screwed, and LeBron wasted the 2007-2008 season playing on a fourth seeded underachiever.

Then the Cavs built their strongest team in 2009.  The reloaded Cavs dominated the playoffs before falling apart against Orlando.  Their kryptonite was an obvious lack of interior heft, a weakness that allowed Dwight Howard to destroy them in the paint.  That said, it would have only taken a savvy trade or two for the Cavs to shore up their interior.

But they didn’t do that.  Instead they traded for Shaquille O’Neal

I never got that trade.  Now that the Cavs have lost disgracefully in yet another postseason, I feel justified.  Here’s what I would have said had I worked for the Cavs.

Random Cavs Exec:  Hey Mike, we were thinking that because we have one year left on LeBron’s deal, we should throw all our efforts into winning the title.

Me:  I agree.  Let’s make some savvy moves.

Random Cavs Exec:  Absolutely.  Let’s trade for Shaq.

Me:  Why on Earth would we trade for Shaq?!

Random Cavs Exec:  Because he’s got four rings!  He can bully Dwight Howard.  Plus we’ll have so much cap space next year when his contract expires.

Me:  Shaq hasn’t won a ring in four years.  He’s old.  He’s dreadfully out of shape.  He’s an egomaniac, and he’ll play up his “I’m gonna help LeBron win a ring,” pledge so severely that it’ll end up being all about him.

Random Cavs Exec:  But think of the cap space!!!!

Me:  The cap space will be useless because LeBron will skip town after we lose to Orlando again.  This is a horrible trade.  Instead, we should fire Mike Brown, get a new GM and really show LeBron we mean business.  Then we should look for a defensive, tough big man that hasn’t qualified for AARP membership yet.

I know hindsight is 20/20, so you’ll have to take my word for it when I say that I thought of all of this when Cleveland acquired O’Neal.  Unfortunately I don’t work for the Cavs, so I couldn’t warn them that trading for Shaq would not only do nothing for their title chances, but it would also show to LeBron, how easily they can waste his prime with dumb front office decisions.

Now, they did fire Mike Brown and get a new GM.  But they should’ve done that years ago (like in 2007, after Brown got so badly out-coached in the finals that I think Popovich is still laughing).  Now they just look desperate, like a loser boyfriend who’s trying to convince his girlfriend not to leave him.  “I promise I will stop letting you down.  Look at all the changes I’m already making.”  But it shouldn’t work.  LeBron is loyal, but he needs to do what’s best for himself.  And in my opinion, that means leaving Cleveland.

Where does he go?  I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again:  he should sign with the Bulls.  Strong young team, playoff team, great city, great market, great fans, great everything.  Even the President of the United States thinks this is the right move (even if he’s biased).  With LeBron, the Bulls can win the East (perhaps even a ring) right away.  They won’t even need Chris Bosh (who appears ready to do anything short of joining the Timberwolves to play with LeBron.)

This isn’t a couple years we’re talking here.  If LeBron re-signs with the Cavs, he’ll be with them til he’s 31.  And if you don’t think the Cavs will keep screwing up over the next six years, just look back at the past seven they’ve already plowed through.  It’s time for LeBron to say goodbye to Cleveland.  Sorry Cavs fans.

With that taken care of, we move on to other players.  Dwyane Wade, according to several sources, is not keen on leaving Miami.  It’s a great city with great weather, great scenery and good fans.  But the Heat are awful, and that is a major issue.

If Wade cares about winning (and with one ring already in tow, maybe he doesn’t), he’ll sign with Miami if and only if they add another star free agent.  There is no way that team will contend as is.  And Wade will ruin his body if he keeps charging at the basket thirty times a game.

But this isn’t about that.  I love watching Dwyane Wade play.  He’s a truly electric talent, a tough competitor and a clutch performer.  He could be the centerpiece of a dynasty, much like the dynasty Kobe Bryant is ready to build in LA.  I’d love to see Wade contending for a title again.  I’d love to see him kicking butt in the finals like he did in 2006.  But like LeBron, he’s been forced to carry bad teams.

Now Wade is 28 and preparing to sign a deal that will bind him through the rest of his prime.  LeBron will regret screwing up this free agency.  But a wrong move for Wade could ruin the rest of his career.  It sounds dramatic, but these are literally the stakes.  He’d better wait and make sure he’s joining a team that can legitimately contend.  As they stand, Miami is not that team.  But they can become that team with some savvy moves.  Adding Amare Stoudamire would make them better on offense.  Then, pulling a trade for Chris Paul would make them great.  This probably won’t happen.  But this is the kind of team that Wade should join.  His talents are too great for him to waste his remaining prime on bad teams.

Now quickly moving to Chris Bosh.  I think he should seriously consider joining either Wade or LeBron.  He’s simply not a franchise player.  However, if he joins Wade in Miami (possible) or follows James to Chicago (quite possible), everybody wins.  Well, except opponents.  Bosh needs to join a team that does not need him to be their number one offensive option.  Who that will end up being remains to be seen.

Now moving to the players who will likely rejoin their teams.  First off, we have Dirk Nowitzki, who opted out of the final year of this contract, causing immense speculation as to whether he will leave Dallas.  Don’t buy the rumors.  Nowitzki’s staying put.

Consider.  He’s 32 years old.  When a player reaches that age, every season could be his last at a high level.  Now, Nowitzki can negotiate a longer term deal while he’s still in the tail end of his prime.  If he waits another year, who knows what happens?  Nowitzki knows he can get a good deal from the Mavericks right now.  Why would he wait when his value can only go down?  It’s not a ploy to leave the Mavs.  It’s just smart business.

A second player who I think will stay put is Joe Johnson.  He’s 29, slowly losing steam and a second tier free agent in a loaded year.  He’s already received an offer for $119 million over six years.  Nobody will match that offer.  Johnson is not worth that much money, and everybody should know it.  Except the Timberwolves.  But odds are Johnson would never sign with them.

Meanwhile, it looks like Stoudemire and the Suns are finished.  The two parties apparently stopped negotiations, which suggests that Amare is as good as gone unless he does not get any good offers (which won’t happen).  He will likely end up with either Miami or New York, if we are to believe early reports.  I personally think he will sign with the Knicks.  He can play under Mike D’Antoni, and play under the bright lights of New York.  Regardless of who joins him in New York, Stoudemire will be a big star.

Those are the top free agents.  Here’s what I want to see:

1) James joins the Bulls.

2) Bosh joins the Bulls.

3) Wade signs with New York and is joined by Stoudemire.

4) Nowitzki re-signs with the Mavericks.

5) Johnson re-signs with the Hawks.

6) David Lee joins the Nets, who keep cap space reserved to bid for Carmelo Anthony next offseason.

The final product:  A powerhouse is built in Chicago, New York rises as a potential challenger, and New Jersey–the eventual Brooklyn WhateverProkhorovWantsToCallThems–potentially becoming a third eastern conference contender.  Meanwhile, Oklahoma City continues to grow as a contender, nipping at the Lakers’ heels.  This is an NBA I want to see over the next five years.  This is a league that can be marketed.

Will this happen?  Probably not.  But the mere fact that I can write about is what makes this free agency so great.  Over these next few weeks, the entire landscape of the NBA–especially the Eastern Conference–can change radically.  It’s time for a change.  The league is ready.  Bring on the madness.