Knicks Make Second Bid for James
The Knicks added another level of intrigue into the LeBron James soap opera by quietly meeting with his agent, Leon Rose, to further discuss the star’s plans not a week after seeing him a first time. The Knicks sent senior vice president Glen Grunwald and Scott O’Neil, the president of MSG sports, to Ohio for the additional sit down. At the same time, James was busy listening to pitches from the Bulls and hometown Cavaliers with business manager Maverick Carter.
The second meeting followed a larger first, where Knicks owner James L. Dolan, team president Donnie Walsh, Coach Mike D’Antoni, and former player and current executive Allan Houston met James before moving on to Chicago to speak to Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
While the contents of the meeting remain unclear, the second meet with Rose was likely sought to convince James of the benefits of pairing him with Amar’e Stoudemire, who received a maximum contract from the Knicks Friday worth around $100 million. Donnie Walsh told ESPN.com that the Knicks sought to clarify how much money they had cleared with a salary cap to surround James with players that could help him win a championship.
D’Antoni, Knicks coach, had breakfast with Stoudemire Sunday morning and then went to a party hosted by Dolan in the evening. He is also expected to have a formal meeting with Knicks representatives Monday, as well as hear from the Nets and the Bulls.
By meeting with James a second time, the Knicks might stand a better chance of landing him. However, they were not the first ones to meet with Rose additionally, as Miami Heat president Pat Riley met him the evening before they made their pitch to James Friday.
On Sunday, James, the league MVP for the last two years, finally had some time to relax after discussing his future with the Clippers, the Heat, Nets, and Knicks. His decision isn’t expected to come out until Wednesday. It will end the largest free-agent bid in the history of the NBA, and leave various teams trying to make up in its wake.
It can’t come soon enough for the Knicks, as Joe Johnson, another player the Knicks sought but recently signed with the Hawks, is already effecting the possibilities of a James signing. Knicks representatives flew to Los Angeles at the start of free agency to meet with Johnson, who also played for D’Antoni in Phoenix, but ultimately failed to win him over.
“Joe could have forced a sign-and-trade deal for five years with another team, but he decided that winning in Atlanta would be more meaningful,” Johnson’s agent, Arn Tellem, wrote in a blog entry. “When the Hawks offered the maximum — six years — he happily reciprocated.”
At the same time, Stoudemire seems to be having some fun in New York. Exiting from a Broadway musical, he told reports he was actively trying to recruit for the Knicks, speaking to non-free agents Carmelo Anthony, and San Antonio’s Tony Barker.
Legendary Wilt Chamberlain, who met Stoudemire at a charity event, said this about playing the Knicks: “You have to understand what you’re getting into. There’s a lot of advantages that come with it and there’s obviously a lot of other things that come along with playing here. It’s the best place to play.”
Despite the interest, it is expected that Stoudemire would be dropped by the Knicks if James indicated he would sign with them but wanted to play with another forward.
This and similar knowledge, namely that various teams would want players like Joe Johnson as consolation prizes, ensured that other teams try to retain their best franchise players.
Tags: