2013-2014 NBA Season

[ProjectMaximus]

It's silly to have this conversation. I hate to say it because I like to dream big, but there's no way Jax can get the corporate support necessary for the NBA. Fan support is not enough. As Lake said, invest in QOL and attracting the kind of investment that can eventually lead to supporting an NBA team, and then maybe in a few decades this conversation will seem reasonable.

[KenFSU]

An NBA team in Jacksonville is a flat-out impossibility anytime in the next decade, for a half dozen reasons. It points out a fundamental ignorance of the modern NBA landscape and requirements for the mayor's office to even discuss it. First and foremost, we would need to tear down and rebuild our decade-old arena. It's too small for the NBA, and lacks the high-end amenities required by the league. Secondly, the NBA has no plans to expand, and with Sacramento building a new arena and the Bucks new ownership committed to keeping the team in Wisconsin, there is zero talk right now of any existing team wanting to relocate. If there were, Seattle, Kansas City, and St. Louis would be all over it, and the franchise would likely cost the buyer nearly a billion dollars. We don't have the corporate sponsorship necessary to carry 41 NBA games, nor is there any demonstrable evidence (TV ratings, preseason ticket sales, etc.) suggesting that Jacksonville is a basketball-crazy town, where 18,000 fans will buy $50 tickets on a Tuesday night to watch a terrible expansion franchise square off with the Bucks, or Hornets, or Hawks.

Let's focus on doing one thing right (the Jaguars).

When the Jaguars are 1000 percent stable, MLS soccer is the next logical step, not NBA basketball.

[funwithteeth]

Wasn't really keeping up with anything this past weekend and here on Monday morning I learn Jason Kidd is gonna coach the Bucks.

Free agency starts tomorrow!

[KenFSU]

I bet Melo's a Bull by Thursday.

[KenFSU]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/234070/Heat-Telling-Free-Agents-$12M-In-Cap-Space-Available

Heat Telling Free Agents $12M In Cap Space Available

Jul 01, 2014 4:03 PM EDT

The Miami Heat are informing prospective free agents that they expect to have as much as $12 million in salary cap space to offer after getting LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to re-sign.

With reports of James seeking a max contract around $20.7 million, the pay cuts that Wade and Bosh are willing to take are drastic.

Wade and Bosh were each scheduled to earn earn more than $20 million this upcoming season and a total of $40 million over the next two years.

On Tuesday, the Portland Oregonian reported that Bosh has plans to accept a five-year contract starting at $11 million, and Wade would accept a four-year deal starting at $12 million.

The Heat are angling to be serious bidders for Kyle Lowry.

In what universe does this possibly end well? Where to start. First of all, you have Dwayne Wade, who can barely suit up for 50 games a season, getting paid almost $50 million over the next four years. Does he even have two more seasons left in his body? Secondly, you have Chris Bosh, who is easily worth $15 million a season on the open market, accepting a five year deal for LESS THAN DWAYNE WADE. Thirdly, though Wade and Bosh are willing to sacrifice salary, Lebron will not budge from max salary. Tell me this doesn't breed resentment down the road. Sounds like it is pretty much inevitable at this point that Lebron signs a two-year deal with Miami and we have this same conversation again in 2016. 

[funwithteeth]

The Portland Oregonian is a credible source?

[thelakelander]

^No. Their agent has already come out and said the Portland Oregonian report is not true.

[KenFSU]

^No. Their agent has already come out and said the Portland Oregonian report is not true.

But for what purpose? Because the story isn't true, or because it would be an unprecedented, flagrant violation of the league's CBA for any discussions to that end to have taken place prior to the beginning of free agency, which only began yesterday. Even if the numbers aren't completely accurate (and Wade and Bosh could be signing back-loaded contracts for all we know), the same chatter is also coming from Yahoo, ESPN, the Washington Post, etc. Lebron requests max contract, Wade and Bosh take deep pay cuts.

[ProjectMaximus]

KenFSU,

This should explain the counterargument to your question. 

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/1/5861964/miami-heat-nba-free-agency-chris-bosh-dwyane-wade-new-contracts

^No. Their agent has already come out and said the Portland Oregonian report is not true.

Their agent is a credible source?

[funwithteeth]

Orlando signing BEN GORDON is just doubling down on being in the lottery next year, too.

[thelakelander]

^No. Their agent has already come out and said the Portland Oregonian report is not true.

But for what purpose? Because the story isn't true, or because it would be an unprecedented, flagrant violation of the league's CBA for any discussions to that end to have taken place prior to the beginning of free agency, which only began yesterday. Even if the numbers aren't completely accurate (and Wade and Bosh could be signing back-loaded contracts for all we know), the same chatter is also coming from Yahoo, ESPN, the Washington Post, etc. Lebron requests max contract, Wade and Bosh take deep pay cuts.

What's a violation? Three teammates meeting with each other and figuring out how much cash they'd give up before sharing this info with the team? It seems to me that the Heatles are running the show, moreso than the Heat organization. IMO, it's pretty refreshing to see guys willing to give up millions for the sake of putting themselves in better position to win championships. The opposite of that is Joe Johnson or some of the insane overpaid contracts being tossed out by teams this week.

LeBron James has made it clear he wants help on the Miami Heat's roster and he wants to see ownership spend to do it. He opted out early in part to put pressure on the Heat organization — upgrade this roster or I look at my options.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are with him.

The three of them are going to lay back at the start of free agency and let Pat Riley recruit guys, but they are giving him contract frameworks to make that possible, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

As Miami Heat president Pat Riley begins to pursue free agency at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday, LeBron James and his Big Three teammates plan to give the franchise a window to recruit a supporting cast and close deals with them, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Heat's free agents – James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem – have the framework of deals in place to remain with Miami, arming Riley with his limitations within the salary cap to sign talent, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

"Everybody has their [contract] number and has left a little bit of room to let [Riley] maneuver," one source briefed on the contract discussions told Yahoo Sports.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/30/report-lebron-wade-bosh-give-riley-window-to-upgrade-roster-at-start-of-free-agency/

[thelakelander]

KenFSU,

This should explain the counterargument to your question. 

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/7/1/5861964/miami-heat-nba-free-agency-chris-bosh-dwyane-wade-new-contracts

^No. Their agent has already come out and said the Portland Oregonian report is not true.

Their agent is a credible source?

Right now, no one is. Those guys aren't even in the country at the moment. From what I understand, they've come up with some numbers they're acceptable with (on their own) and have given Riley some time to see if he can pull in some more players with the money they're willing to give up. Who knows what the final numbers will be? That will depend on what fish they can land and if the Heat move Cole to free up more cap space. I'd rather this happen, then relegate the team to mediocrity by signing some dude like Gordon Hayward to a max contract.

[KenFSU]

What's a violation? Three teammates meeting with each other and figuring out how much cash they'd give up before sharing this info with the team? It seems to me that the Heatles are running the show, moreso than the Heat organization. IMO, it's pretty refreshing to see guys willing to give up millions for the sake of putting themselves in better position to win championships. The opposite of that is Joe Johnson or some of the insane overpaid contracts being tossed out by teams this week.

Devil's in the details. If Lebron, Bosh, and Wade had private discussions amongst themselves, there's no violation. If the Miami Heat or Pat Riley were at all involved in those talks though, that's a clear violation. The Yahoo report from June 30th, as least to me, certainly made it sound like the Big Three had an implicit agreement in place with Pat Riley for the framework of a potential deal, contingent perhaps on Riley making some noise in free agency. Worth noting that a similar incident with Joe Smith cost the Minnesota Timberwolves five first round picks, not that anything will come out of this one.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--lebron-james--dwyane-wade--chris-bosh-to-give-pat-riley-time-to-improve-roster-023118965.html

Also, MAX MONEY for Gordon Hayward?!?!? What is this world coming to.

[funwithteeth]

Didn't the Cavs just draft Wiggins? Don't he and Hayward basically have the same skill set?

EDIT: Now reports are indicating the Suns are the ones who want to overpay Hayward.

[ProjectMaximus]

What's a violation? Three teammates meeting with each other and figuring out how much cash they'd give up before sharing this info with the team? It seems to me that the Heatles are running the show, moreso than the Heat organization. IMO, it's pretty refreshing to see guys willing to give up millions for the sake of putting themselves in better position to win championships. The opposite of that is Joe Johnson or some of the insane overpaid contracts being tossed out by teams this week.

Devil's in the details. If Lebron, Bosh, and Wade had private discussions amongst themselves, there's no violation. If the Miami Heat or Pat Riley were at all involved in those talks though, that's a clear violation. The Yahoo report from June 30th, as least to me, certainly made it sound like the Big Three had an implicit agreement in place with Pat Riley for the framework of a potential deal, contingent perhaps on Riley making some noise in free agency. Worth noting that a similar incident with Joe Smith cost the Minnesota Timberwolves five first round picks, not that anything will come out of this one.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--lebron-james--dwyane-wade--chris-bosh-to-give-pat-riley-time-to-improve-roster-023118965.html

Also, MAX MONEY for Gordon Hayward?!?!? What is this world coming to.

They theoretically could have had those conversations before opting out right?

(I can't believe I'm actually defending the team. And if the three do come back with more cap space to improve the supporting cast I will hate the Heat so much more)