Lebron will not come to NY for a visit (nor do a recruiting tour)

mafra

Legend
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5329335

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> jQuery.getScriptCache('http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/c/?js=espn.tools.r3.js', function() { espn.core.init.tools('5329335','http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5329335'); });</SCRIPT><CITE class=source>By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine</CITE>
<CITE class=source></CITE>
<CITE class=source>All the elaborate recruiting plans for LeBron James will have to change. James will not go on a recruiting tour, his longtime business manager Maverick Carter told ESPN.com Friday.</CITE>
<CITE class=source></CITE>
<CITE class=source>"LeBron is not going on a tour," Carter said. "He never planned to go on a tour and has not been a part of any team's plans for a recruiting trip."
Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will visit with individual clubs at a neutral site once the free-agency period begins July 1.
James' decision throws a monkey wrench in the plans of several clubs that hoped to sell him on non-basketball-related enticements such as the vibrancy of their city, the social life it may afford or the A-list celebrities that support their teams.
James, the most coveted player in this historic free-agent class, wants the focus to be on basketball and doesn't want it to turn into a spectacle.
Clubs were made aware of James' decision on Wednesday and many went into scramble mode. The New York Knicks, who were planning a spectacular, celebrity-laden dinner cooked by a world-renowned chef for James on July 1, quickly cancelled it and held an emergency Plan B, according to two sources.
The Knicks, who also planned to give James a tour of New York City, are going ahead with plans to bring Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on visits to New York, according to sources, but they will have to meet with their top target, James, on neutral turf.
It is not known where James will meet with clubs, but Carter said it will not be at James' home in suburban Akron.
James has already met with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who traveled to Akron last week along with members of Cleveland's front office to visit the All-Star forward. On Thursday, general manager Chris Grant refused to characterize the team's discussions with James.
"We're a family here," Grant said.
There's a chance the Cavs will meet with James again before he hits the open market, Grant said. Cleveland can offer James up to $30 million more than any other team on a maximum-length contract.
James has not given any indication which way he's leaning. He has spent his entire career with the Cavs, who were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by Boston. James has said winning is the most important factor in choosing his next team.
Grant wouldn't divulge any special plans by the Cavs to woo James.
"We have a plan and we will execute it," he said.
-----------

I'm to the point where I want to say - SCREW THE TITLESS BITCH!

Then again. This is probably a blessing. First of all, it allows us to go hard after Chris Bosh when the clock strikes midnight.

We have to get Bosh. Simple as that. It at least gives us a future. If we focus solely on LJ and he stiffs us, we risk losing Bosh.

So, this is a good thing. Also, we don't have to wine-n-dine and roll out the red carpet, then sit back and watch him tour the United States.... This should cut down on the waiting.

Let's hope Walsh-D'ant bring that smooth-talking NY talk and bring their X's-and-Os with them.


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Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
It's this cock sucker Maverick Carter who doesn't want James in NY because he's afraid of being exposed as the small fish he is.

If James' ultimate decision is about location, we're in the lead, but it's not. We can't go in there and say "You'll be playing in NY LeBron", simultaneously clicking our fingers trying to distract him from looking at our roster sheet with 5 players that play his position, a SG that could be a woman, a PG, a string bean center and The Blob.

Likelihood of Lebron coming has gotten down to about 20/1 I think. The leader, Chicago, are so far ahead of us now that they're barely visible. Rubbing their hands with glee on the horizon.

And in all seriousness, without trying to be melodramatic, if you compare the Knicks and Cavs rosters right now: Cleveland is better. Honestly they are. I'll reiterate that:

We have 5 small forwards, a shooting guard, Jordan (apparently locked up), Douglas and The Blob. It doesn't matter if you're floating on a cloud above Central Park or in a neutral zone, that looks like a very smelly roster.

Our current 5 is:
1.Douglas - I love you Toney but come on
2. Walker - still yet to really prove anything
3. Chandler - 2 surgeries, a lung full and clearly an idiot
4. Gallo - good player, would average 4 boards a game as PF though
5. Curry or Jordan. If Curry doesn't eat Jordan after raping him that is.

With a bench of Rautins, Giddens and Fields.

After looking at that roster, it's not about the city anymore.

Draft night was the night to make a move/statement and NY ****ED themselves in the anus with their own stupidity.
I don't know how even the most faithful can keep the faith after draft night.
 
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tiger0330

Legend
Looking to me the most likely scenario is he stays in Cleveland. He's stated Cleveland has the advantage and now he wants to make his decision without the distraction of being wined and dined in the cities that are interested in him. It just might come down to that 30M more the Cavs can offer him, loyalty to Ohio and his Cav's teammates.
 

jpz17

Starter
Looking to me the most likely scenario is he stays in Cleveland. He's stated Cleveland has the advantage and now he wants to make his decision without the distraction of being wined and dined in the cities that are interested in him. It just might come down to that 30M more the Cavs can offer him, loyalty to Ohio and his Cav's teammates.

yeah but you know.. some team is going to get screwed over big-time from this FA thing
 

Kiyaman

Legend
I lived in New York for 51 years..... the thought of Lebron becoming a Knick under Walsh/Damntoni sets the odds at 1 out of a billion chance.

It has alot to do with an old Knick-Fan Kiya :)smokin:) being pessimistic for decade under clueless presidents Layden/Isiah/Walsh.
Plus Celebrity coach Damntoni had All-Star Players like Shaq, Amare, Marion, Hill, Joe Johnson, and Nash on his roster but never made it to the FINALS.
 

Red

TYPE-A
I'm to the point where I want to say - SCREW THE TITLESS BITCH!

Then again. This is probably a blessing. First of all, it allows us to go hard after Chris Bosh when the clock strikes midnight.

We have to get Bosh. Simple as that. It at least gives us a future. If we focus solely on LJ and he stiffs us, we risk losing Bosh.

So, this is a good thing. Also, we don't have to wine-n-dine and roll out the red carpet, then sit back and watch him tour the United States.... This should cut down on the waiting.

Let's hope Walsh-D'ant bring that smooth-talking NY talk and bring their X's-and-Os with them.


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As expected. This is the rumor mill, first it's this then it's that. Expect this from here on.

Occur to you that admitting to formally planning a sit down may be looked at as a violation... and so now LBJ's team are covering their tracks?

We'll IMO based on the leagues reluctance to cooperate, and give us a good deal every once in awhile it's time to roll up the sleeves and get dirty.

1. Bosh MUST now be viewed as a must have! We HAVE to at least keep him from joining forces with another.

2. The same goes for any coach or front office candidate that's coveted by our enemies (every team in the NBA)- we must use the only true power we have <$> and keep them from going ANYWHERE else!

3. I won't be surprised to see Joe Johnson and Amare in Knick Uni's next yr.

By getting BOSH we put the kybosh on our enemies plans- He can now be viewed as priority 1B. By signing coveted FO guys like Pritchard or Frank we stop others from acquiring them.

Johnson and Amare would be the only NON-experiments in this FA class for D'Ant- cant se why he would risk too many new faces.

Rautins/ TD
Johnson/ Walker
*Chandler/ Landry
Gallo/ Amare
Amare / Jordan/ Curry

*trade bait

I don't think we have Barron right now right?
 

Kiyaman

Legend
A hometown Ex-Knick player/G.M. wants revenge

NEW YORK -- In a different life, back when he was in charge of assembling his hometown Knicks, Ernie Grunfeld said there was only one thing more frightening in the NBA than the prospect of clearing salary cap space:

Clearing that cap space and having no worthwhile free agents willing to take it.

So thanks to Grunfeld, Knicks president Donnie Walsh should be afraid. Very, very afraid.
Grunfeld's Washington Wizards just cut a deal with the Chicago Bulls that e-mailed New York the kind of presidential message once famously sent by a Daily News headline writer posing as Gerald Ford.

Is a Rose-James partnership closer to being a reality?
Grunfeld to New York City: Drop Dead.
All because the Wizards' president was willing to take Kirk Hinrich's $9 million wage and the 17th overall pick in exchange for a future second-rounder -- a deal first reported by ESPN's Ric Bucher -- the Bulls now have enough cap space to sign LeBron James and the Chris Bosh/Amare Stoudemire/Joe Johnson/Carlos Boozer sidekick of his choosing.

So the one significant advantage the Knicks had over the Bulls in the great free-agent chase of 2010 -- the room to sign a second max-out player -- is a significant advantage no more. When someone familiar with the Knicks' thinking was told Thursday night that Grunfeld didn't exactly help the master midtown plan, that someone replied, "Nope."

Of course Grunfeld intended no harm to his former employer. Of course Grunfeld was thinking of the Wizards' best interests and nothing more.

But your average, beaten-down Knicks fan has every right to ask this question: Why, Ernie, why? On the night you used the first overall pick to draft John Wall, the franchise maker once meant to save the New Jersey Nets, why wreak your havoc on the more vulnerable side of the Hudson?

And aiding and abetting the Bulls, of all teams? The same dynastic foe you spent every waking New York minute scheming to topple?
"I'll have to give Ernie a call; has he lost his mind?" joked Dave Checketts, the former Garden and Knicks president who had helped Grunfeld build the contender of the '90s before firing him at the close of the decade.

"Ernie and I hated Chicago more than anyone. We wouldn't do one thing to help them when we were running the Knicks. In fact, we even tried to kill deals we heard the Bulls were working on. We'd call agents and tell them, 'Why would you send your player there? Are you kidding? Don't you know what's going on inside that organization?'"
Checketts laughed, but he wasn't fooling around.
"We tried to convince Michael Jordan to come to New York when we offered him all of our cap space in '96," he said. "We even bid on Scottie Pippen once. A lot of time has passed, but it's still hard to picture Ernie doing a deal that would help the Bulls."

No, these aren't Jordan's six-time champs, and no, Grunfeld isn't worried about pleasing the Knicks' ownership or fan base anymore. Grunfeld has to satisfy a boss, Ted Leonsis, who is scrutinizing his subordinate's every step.

But let's face it: No NBA executive has made a deal this helpful to a would-be contender since Memphis gift-wrapped Pau Gasol and made Kobe Bryant and the Lakers whole.

"The Bulls' situation is really attractive now," Checketts said. "Two max contracts is a huge advantage for them."
It was a huge advantage for the Knicks until Thursday. In the war for LeBron's heart and mind, Chicago could offer Derrick Rose and a roster full of long and active friends.

Fans at the Theater at MSG were chanting Jeff Van Gundy's name, but Ernie Grunfeld spoke loudest with the Wizards-Bulls trade. The Bulls couldn't offer James a full scholarship for a fellow blue-chipper, and the Knicks could. Walsh would have to explain away a decade of lousy basketball, most of it played on someone else's watch, but he could promise LeBron a Bosh or Stoudemire -- both better frontcourt players than Joakim Noah and Luol Deng.

With one powerful swipe, Grunfeld just erased that sales pitch from the Madison Avenue board. The same Grunfeld who grew up in Queens worshipping the Knicks. The same Grunfeld who served as a player, broadcaster, assistant coach, personnel man, GM and president for his boyhood team.

The same Grunfeld who shipped out Charles Smith, Monty Williams and Doug Christie to clear the $10 million in cap space that turned into Allan Houston and Chris Childs. The same Grunfeld who traded for Larry Johnson. The same Grunfeld who dealt Charles Oakley for Marcus Camby against Jeff Van Gundy's objection in 1999, but who was fired before Van Gundy and Camby made it to the Finals against all odds.

As Garden president, Checketts felt he needed to end the feud between Van Gundy and Grunfeld. He took the team president to a White Plains, N.Y., restaurant, talked shop during a 90-minute dinner and then terminated his friend over a serving of pie a la mode, an event Grunfeld would call "the Last Supper."

The exchange went like this:
Checketts: Ernie, I'm sorry, but I have to let you go."
Grunfeld: "Yeah, right."
Checketts: "No, I'm serious, Ernie."
Grunfeld: "Dave, you can't do this to me."

They debated the decision for another hour, nothing changed and Grunfeld ultimately got a $4 million check to disappear. But at the draft Thursday night, with New Yorkers pointing toward the ESPN set and chanting Van Gundy's name, Grunfeld's voice was heard loudly and clearly above the din.

In serving the Wizards, and only the Wizards, Grunfeld might have single-handedly rerouted James from New York to Chicago.

"We want LeBron!" Knicks fans shouted inside The Theater at the Garden.
They got Andy Rautins of Syracuse and Landry Fields of Stanford instead.

Donnie Walsh still has his precious cap space, but Grunfeld just sent him this little note:
Good luck convincing LeBron James to fill it.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Lebron will meet 6 teams July 1-3.



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AjYHs0fRaOx6376kM4xtrC_TjdIF?slug=aw-lebronjayz062510

LeBron James(notes) is planning to invite six teams to meet him over the first three days of free agency, and rap mogul Jay-Z and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov will be part of a New Jersey Nets contingent that is expected make one of the first presentations on July 1 in the Akron, Ohio, area, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.


James and his advisors plan to have the Nets, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers make presentations. Yahoo! Sports first reported on Thursday morning that James would be taking appointments with teams on July 1 to begin his free-agency process.

The Bulls have emerged as the favorites for James, and the Heat and Nets are making a strong push, too. The Knicks and Clippers appear to be longer shots to sign James. The Cavaliers remain a viable choice because of James? seven seasons there and the opportunity for him to make as much as $30 million more re-signing with his hometown team.

The Nets are hoping the global might of Jay-Z ? an idol and mentor to James ? and Prokhorov can appeal to James? desire to be a billionaire athlete with an international platform and profile.

Nets general manager Rod Thorn and coach Avery Johnson will also make the trip, but Thorn has decided to leave his job and retire in July. He hasn?t been happy with the pay cut the new owner has offered, and he also feels that at 69 years old his appetite for the job?s grind has diminished.

Nets ownership will try to move quickly on a replacement, and sources say potential targets will include Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti, New Orleans GM Jeff Bower and San Antonio Spurs GM R.C. Buford. Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks, who has drawn interest in the Portland Trail Blazers? search, is a strong candidate, too.

The Nets are planning to move into a new Brooklyn arena after playing the next two seasons at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
 

lilman_bklyn

Rotation player
If the Knicks had any sense, which after 2 years of Walsh, x amount of years of Issiah and Layden, I know they do not... but if by chance the ghost of Checketts and Grunfeld were to creep their way back into MSG, I say go after Wade... Miami and the rest of the country sees Wade as a given, I'd do everything they were planning to do for Lebron to Wade, I'd make Wade an offfer he couldn't refuse, and then the piece de resistance... the Knicks would fck Pat Riley in da azz with no vaseline ... Think out the box Walsh thats the only way you are getting any valuable free agent this summer
 

mafra

Legend
Just read that Ryan Gomes will be released. Por doesn't want him. That's an interesting option, no?

Add Gomes and sign Livingston for PG. Ok.

Maybe trade for Al Jefferson?

We have many plan-B scenarios I hope.

Bosh, Gomes, Felton and Mike Miller.

Trade Curry or Chandler for something.

If Lebron doesn't want NY then screw him.
 

iSaYughh

Starter
We shoudnt grovel. Never be the guy supplicating to the hot chic, praying she will essentially pity **** you and take mercy.

This is what we have been reduced to with Lebron.

We need to essentially semi-bluff him with supreme confidence in our assets/maneuverability/management/lifestyle.

D'ant/Walsh saying how they really don't care about the draft (lol), and implying (well, basically foaming at the mouth saying) that they are just focused on Lebron/FA is no good. It shows weakness, vulnerability.

The exact opposite of what we need to project given the reality of our situation and our competitive edge over our offseason competitors.

Pitiful.

Walsh prolly isn't a total donkey, but our situations demands excellence or the perpetuation of long-standing incompetence will not be reversed. Mediocrity and one ball won't cut it.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Our cap space situation is worse than our previous decade

We shoudnt grovel. Never be the guy supplicating to the hot chic, praying she will essentially pity **** you and take mercy.

This is what we have been reduced to with Lebron.

We need to essentially semi-bluff him with supreme confidence in our assets/maneuverability/management/lifestyle.

D'ant/Walsh saying how they really don't care about the draft (lol), and implying (well, basically foaming at the mouth saying) that they are just focused on Lebron/FA is no good. It shows weakness, vulnerability.

The exact opposite of what we need to project given the reality of our situation and our competitive edge over our offseason competitors.

Pitiful.

Walsh prolly isn't a total donkey, but our situations demands excellence or the perpetuation of long-standing incompetence will not be reversed. Mediocrity and one ball won't cut it.


:agreed::agreed::agreed:
After all we been through, Dolan & Layden hating on Checketts & Grunfield players, Isiah spending big dollars on SAVIOR players from Marbury/Crawful/Q.Brick/Curry/Zach while DNP the young players, to Walsh doing nothing for 2 years other than trading expiring contracts for lesser talented expiring contracts while actually destroying the future of Knicks for a "one to million chance" of landing super-star Lebron James......
This is BULLSHITT!!!
:barf:
 

Kiyaman

Legend
I bet you Donnie tries to sell Lebron on David Lee saying think of the possibilites if we sign you another FA and him.

I would not be suprise or shock if David Lee accepts the MLE from the Cavs to resign Lebron James.

Anything is possible when u are able to believe Walsh/Damntoni could get Lebron James.
There is a Santa Claus
 
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