Assembling the Pieces of the LeBron James Fallout
While Miami undoubtedly emerged as the winner of the National Basketball Association’s free agency bonanza of 2010, most other franchises are left trying to pick up the pieces.
It’s hard to blame the teams who are now down-and-out, as LeBron James has proven himself worthy enough for teams to utilize any possible opportunity to sign the star. Although teams put in a good effort, it seems that Miami was the only opportunity worthy enough for the self-proclaimed King.
The New York Knicks spent several season signing any expiring contract and trading away any players that might require high salaries for 2011.
The Chicago Bulls let go their best fourth-quarter (and sometimes overall) player in Ben Gordon to create salary cap space.
The Miami Heat forced Dwyane Wade to play without any sort of real support for two seasons, though Wade did still manage to carry them to the playoffs last season.
The New Jersey Nets almost doomed themselves to the infamy of the worst season in NBA history in order to shed salaries and draft potential stars.
The Los Angeles Clippers sort of hung around in that same limbo of not-spending or growing that they have exhibited for years now but made an offer to LeBron James that never seemed to be considered seriously.
So what will these teams do for the rest of the offseason and what does that bode?
New York Knicks: The Knicks didn’t necessarily want LeBron, they just wanted as much star power as possible. They sort of have it now with the signing of Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire has never proven himself able to succeed without the phenomenal talent of Steve Nash and his microfractured knee may not hold up well in Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced offence.
The Knicks are now looking to establish their team the next season, when Carmelo Anthony becomes a free-agent. Anthony would be far more important to the Knicks than Stoudemire, and his New York roots make him even more appealing, although the chances that Anthony declines an extension are remote at this stage.
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers made one half-hearted non-LeBron attempt with an offer to Joe Johnson, who chose a whopping $70 million over five years from the Atlanta Hawks. It is surprising they didn’t go for Stoudemire, who could have been a dynamic big man duo with Chris Kaman and a nice target for Baron Davis.
The Clippers can look forward to the return of overall No. 1 pick Blake Griffin, though that’s about all the team can look for. The Clippers are always tottering on the brink of perhaps establishing a good team, yet always fall short.
New Jersey Nets: Things look glum for the Nets. After one of the worst seasons in NBA history, they still didn’t win the lottery for the No. 1 pick. Had they already moved to their New York arena, and perhaps if they had gotten an NBA-ready star draftee, the Nets would have been a viable possibility for a top free agent.
Their best option now is to hope that Derrick Favors develops well, while keeping their salaries low. They seem destined for another high draft pick next season, and if Favors meshes with Brook Lopez could be a solid team, in 2013.
Chicago Bulls: The Bulls actually have a great roster of young-ish talent that has continually meshed well. They added Carlos Boozer, and already have established players in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng. They should perform well and are really just one more player away from establishing a serious contender.
If things continue on a similar trajectory, expect a lot of Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals games starting within two or three seasons.
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