Things in the NBA have been a little slow right now, but the big dominoes never fall right away. We’ve got news on some of the biggest dominoes out there today, and once they start to fall, everything should move quickly, especially because three of them are pretty much inextricably linked.
Let’s start with the first domino, the biggest star and best player in the NBA:
LEBRON COULD KEEP BIG THREE TOGETHER, BUT WILL HE?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
As LeBron James remains uncommitted and the Miami Heat work to solidify contract terms with Chris Bosh, there’s a renewed hope throughout the NBA the franchise’s Big Three could be jarred loose into seriously considering the free-agent market, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
And yet for all the machinations and fluidity of this complex dance, James holds the power to bring everything back together for the franchise.
“Bosh is back in a second if LeBron commits,” one league source involved in the dialogue told Yahoo Sports.
Miami president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra have been crossing the country and meeting with free agents, but have remained unable to offer competitive market deals to top available players, sources said.
There had been suggestions the renegotiated contracts of James, Bosh and Dwyane Wade could leave the space for a $9 million-$10 million annual salary slot, but the figure that Miami has floated to prospective players is a first-year salary in the range of $5.5 million and hazy suggestions about sign-and-trades that would ultimately be difficult to execute, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
“A lot of hocus pocus,” one high-profile agent told Yahoo Sports.
Barring Bosh and Wade caving on dramatic pay decreases, Miami’s best offers still promise to be significantly below the market values of such free agents as Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng and Pau Gasol.
KNICKS, BULLS, LAKERS ALL IN PLAY FOR MELO
In his meeting with Knicks officials at the end of his free-agent tour, Carmelo Anthony got assurances that the team would not have another season like last year’s 37-win debacle and came away with confidence in Phil Jackson’s plan to contend at a high level for the next several seasons, a person familiar with the discussions told CBSSports.com.
Anthony expressed his approval for the offseason moves the Knicks have made this summer and was said to be intrigued with the vision — shared by Jackson and coach Derek Fisher — for how he could thrive in the triangle offense, the person said. In Anthony’s decision to choose among the Knicks, Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers, Jackson’s championship pedigree holds enormous sway, the person said.
In the meeting Thursday in Los Angeles, attended by Anthony, his agent, Leon Rose, Jackson, Fisher and Knicks GM Steve Mills, little was made of Anthony’s supposed need to hear from Jackson that the championship coach-turned-president wanted him to stay in New York. Despite much publicized banter and some needling from Jackson about Anthony’s willingness to take less than a max deal to help the Knicks build a contender, Anthony went into the meeting with little doubt about the Knicks’ willingness to come through with a five-year, $129 million offer to keep him.
He came out of the meeting with no less certainty.
His biggest concern, the person with knowledge of the meeting said, was avoiding a repeat of last season, when Anthony failed to make the playoffs for the first time in his 11-year career.
“If he didn’t feel like there was a chance to win, he wouldn’t stay,” the person said.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
The Los Angeles Lakers have ascended into serious contention to sign New York free agent Carmelo Anthony, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Lakers moved into strong consideration with the front-running New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls over this weekend, sources told Yahoo Sports.
No one with direct knowledge of the process would declare the Lakers had overtaken New York and Chicago in Anthony’s mind, but one source close to Anthony said of the Lakers, “They’re in the game now.”
The Lakers met with Anthony on Friday, offering him a four-year, $97 million contract. Lakers star Kobe Bryant has been in constant contact with Anthony, and the Lakers could re-sign Pau Gasol to pair with Anthony on the frontline.
The Lakers’ roster is stripped of talent, and the combination of Bryant and Anthony possessing max contracts would limit the financial flexibility to upgrade the roster. Nevertheless, Anthony keeps a home in Los Angeles and the franchise’s pitch has resonated with him.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are looking at backup plans, writes KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
It’s still unknown if Carmelo Anthony or Nikola Mirotic will suit up for the Bulls next season.
But while the former situation is out of the Bulls’ control — beyond their well-received pitch Tuesday — the latter is completely in their hands. And though negotiations with Mirotic are in the early stages, there is momentum for the international man of mystery’s arrival before training camp.
One source said Friday that Mirotic is hoping for assurances from the Bulls that he won’t be traded before completing his roughly $3.4 million buyout from Real Madrid. But given how highly the Bulls have spoken of him since they sent two draft picks and cash to the Timberwolves for his draft rights in 2011, that seems a formality.
Per league rules, the Bulls can contribute up to $600,000 of Mirotic’s buyout without that amount going on their books. Exceeding that would be considered a signing bonus and would take away valuable salary-cap space.
That’s space the Bulls most want to use to sign Anthony. But in the wake of reports that the Knicks and Lakers have offered the All-Star forward a maximum contract, the Bulls started their contingency plans by traveling to Los Angeles on Thursday to meet with Pau Gasol and other free agents.
The Bulls face strong competition for Gasol, who has drawn interest from the Knicks, Thunder, Spurs and Heat. The Lakers, who paid him $19.3 million last season, also want him back at a reduced salary.
The Bulls could outbid all of those suitors except perhaps the Lakers. They left their meeting with the impression Gasol’s decision wasn’t imminent.
There were a few other moves made Saturday:
Mavericks, I’m told, are closing in on a verbal agreement to bring back point guard Devin Harris. Sides expected to strike three-year deal
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 5, 2014
Source: Pacers reach deal with Lavoy Allen to bring him back to Indiana
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 5, 2014
Dan Malone has finally finished his journalism degree at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is now a reporter at the Bryan Times in northwest Ohio. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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