JeepinBen

July 7th, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^

I really wish these people/ESPN/Etc. would post NEWS not MAYBES. Same thing happened with conference expansion. BTW, did you hear that Texas might have gone to the Big East?

"Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are teaming up together on the Miami Heat, according to a person with knowledge of the situation." - via the linked article

Until one of them signs, or announces something, it's speculation based on sources. I'll believe it when someone comes forward (preferably Wade or Bosh) and says "I say this, print my name" I'm tired of  "sources"... 

Blue in Yarmouth

July 7th, 2010 at 1:08 PM ^

which is why they are unnamed sources. Once the deadline passes they will make it official. This is nothing like the conference expansion which was simply speculation. This is two players accepting deals that won't be official until a certain dealine passes, at which point they will make a public statement.

JeepinBen

July 7th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

Bosh

Wade

Stoudemire

Joe Johnson

Pierce

Dirk

Any NBA free agent hasn't actually signed a contract yet. Like you said, they can't sign till tomorrow - all these guys have announced that they are going somewhere, but it's not yet official.

My above posts were made before the press conference where Wade/Bosh announced

CraigMack

July 7th, 2010 at 10:58 AM ^

they have to do is figure out if Bosh goes in a sign and trade or he signs a deal outright.  He gets more $$$ in a sign in trade.  Doesnt matter anyway, they wont beat the Lakers.

My name ... is Tim

July 7th, 2010 at 11:06 AM ^

I am a huge Lebron fan and I never really understood why people thought a Wade/Lebron and Bosh combo was automatically superior to the current Lakers squad (and duo of Kobe and Gasol). They'll need solid role players and contributors if they think they're winning the title. Frankly, I don't really see Beasley ever becoming a solid third scoring option on a title team.

Now if they got Lebron as well, that'd be another story. However, if Lebron stays in Cleveland, I think this entire free agency summer will have been much ado about nothing.

Kal

July 7th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^

They wouldn't have the cap space to be able to sign all 3 unless one was willing to take a SIGNIFICANT pay cut... and these are guys who are all max contract players.

Edit: I meant after they actually filled their roster.. Unless they're going to sign a bunch of D-leaguers and second round draft picks I just can't see all of the major free agents landing on one team. I really think Lebron to the Knicks would make the Eastern conference a lot more interesting in terms of contenders... Between the Magic, Heat, Celtics, Knicks, and Bulls it'd be quite an open race. Too bad the Pistons really wouldn't be able to match up with any of those teams.

Trauber19

July 7th, 2010 at 11:01 AM ^

Very true but it's the summer...what else can they do but show Baseball games/highlights, the WNBA, make shit up, and talk about Brett Favre's ankle.  Although Tiger Woods has given us something new to discuss this summer haha.

M-Wolverine

July 7th, 2010 at 11:01 AM ^

....how does it bone the Pistons?  We aren't getting any of them anyway...

But I heard this in the morning, when it was the rumor du minute.  Could change.  And I'm not sure how the Heat plan to do a sign and trade...don't they have like 2 or 3 players signed?  

If a team has depth, and you can get something worthwhile back, go for it.  But I'd rather have the cap space than crappy players/contracts, and be happy to let the guy leaving take less money if he really wants to leave.

JeepinBen

July 7th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^

Heat have 2 players on the roster, Beasley and... someone else. But yeah, they only have 2 rostered players. 

The thing is Toronto could get a $16.6M trade exception - pretty much an expiring salary they can then trade/use to do other stuff

Trauber19

July 7th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

It bones the pistons because an Eastern Conference team is getting better and who knows what our team will play like...granted since we'll be fully healthy to start the year we could be sick...but at the same time, I was hoping as many FA's as possible went to the West.

Tater

July 7th, 2010 at 11:16 AM ^

Considering the current state of the Pistons, it doesn't really matter if Miami gets all three and wins the next five NBA Championships.  The Pistons are now years away from being a legitimate contender.  Saying this would "bone" the Pistons is like an ant floating downstream on a bread crumb asking to have the drawbridge raised; both involve severe overestimation.

MGoBender

July 7th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^

I don't know.  I think Chris Bosh might be a step down from Udonis Haslem.  Haslem provides some much needed bulk in the Heat frontcourt that Bosh simply can't make up for.

This move by Miami is very suspect...

Dix

July 7th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^

I feel like LeBron has allowed himself to be painted into a corner somewhat.  Maybe he never wanted to, but I don't see how he could sign with the Heat now and not appear as if he's just following the crowd to a stacked team.  If he wants a legacy, probably he can't go to Miami with his friends now that they signed first. 

Also, with Wade, Bosh, Stoudamire and Johnson off the market, there isn't really anyone worthwhile that can join him wherever he signs.  Unless he signs with the Knicks to play with Amare, or with Chicago, then he's going to be right back in the same situation as he has been in Cleveland, without a decent teammate to share the load. 

JD_UofM_90

July 7th, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^

and got this info from ESPN.com...

"Lebron James is planning to announce the team with which he will sign during a one-hour special on ESPN Thursday night, ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard has learned through independent sources.

ESPN would only confirm that active discussions for the special are ongoing. But sources tell Broussard that representatives for James contacted the network, proposing that James makes his announcement during a 9 p.m. ET special.

Those sources said that James' representatives requested they be allowed to sell sponsorship for the one-hour special, with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and that ESPN agreed to the proposal but had not been told what James has decided."

Plegerize

July 7th, 2010 at 11:57 AM ^

You bring up a good point. I was having thoughts that Lebron was going to resign with Cleveland, but if this Wade/Bosh rumor turns out to be true, then I can't see him resigning with Cleveland at all.

He's already said that it's not about the money and that he'd take less money to be on a winning team or to build a winning team. He's not going to trap himself onto a team like Cleveland if he can't get the players to help him win.

I think it'll be interesting to see tomorrow what happens, but if Wade/Bosh to Miami is true, then Lebron is off to Chicago, the only place that would allow him to be competitive with the new-look Heat.

TheLastHarbaugh

July 7th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^

If LeBron stays in Cleveland and Cleveland doesn't pull some sort of sign and trade for another player (i.e. Boozer), then IMO, LeBron is the big loser in all of this. Although I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank.

bronxblue

July 7th, 2010 at 1:01 PM ^

As good as Bosh and Wade are, the rest of the team will be comprised of cheap 2nd-round draft picks and some players near the league minimums.  i'm sure there is a plan here, but the reason the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons have been champions has less to do with dominant superstars (outside of Kobe) and more with having 4-5 guys (plus 1-2 bench players) who are better-than-average.  With Bosh and Wade eating up so much of Miami's cap, a good team could certainly beat them in a 7-game series. 

France719

July 7th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^

Straight from the horses mouth.  Wade and Bosh were just on ESPN together talking about it in an interview with Wilbon.  They are saying they are willing to take less than max-contracts if LeBron still wants to get on board.