Not suggesting LeBron will come over but this is the beginning of a few voices being heard over the Chad Ford/Bill Simmons din.

We’ll see articles talking about

*Chemistry
*young team adapting to the triangle (when Love returns) – should other teams try it?
*early draft discussion will notice up to three first round picks – hey! Didn’t they have three last year too?

And finally

David Kahn – Sam Presti is so 2008.

about Wade.

so of course only Hollinger would acknowledge it. Rationality has no place at ESPN.

Assuming LeBron’s priorities are:
1) Max money
2) A long run as a the best team in the league
3) Location

I’d rank his destinations as:
1) Miami – max deal, Dwyane Wade, and good weather
2) LA Clippers – hopefully a max deal, Griffin/Gordon, good weather+big market
3) Minnesota – max deal after some wiggling, deepest supporting cast, market… could be worse :P
4) NJN – max deal, Harris/Lopez, sorta NY

Cleveland has crappy players signed long term, NY has absolutely nothing, and Chicago doesn’t have enough cap space. If I were LeBron, those three wouldn’t even be on my radar.

Does anyone know the precise maximum dollar amount a team other than Cleveland can offer LeBron for the first year of a contract starting in 2010?

It would be good to know which teams have enough to offer that amount and which don’t. For example, I’m reasonably sure Chicago won’t have enough, and I think OKC and LAC won’t under their current compositions either. If the free agency battle were reduced to just CLE, NYK, NJN, MIA, and MIN, I’d start liking our chances a whole lot more.

Makes me think about Papa Glen’s comments to Jerry Z recently (don’t remember if it was on Jerry’s blog or an article). PG strongly alluded to the team making a targeted push in free agency for a true star. Perhaps DK and Rambis are thinking bigger than we give them credit for.

That NYTimes article really spells it out nicely—you (superstar athlete) make the most amount of money based on how much you sell, not where you’re located. The sports world is flat, and those that succeed will have adjusted their strategies accordingly (a la Tom Friedman). Point being that market size doesn’t matter, winning does. Championships do. If LBJ is serious about his aspirations to become a global icon, championships and success are going to be the determining factors more than market size. Market size may have mattered decades ago, but in today’s world market size does not equal star power or appeal (or even a financial windfall). Therefore the agents of Lebron and DWade (if they’re smart agents) will counsel their clients to go where they can win (read the Howard Beck NYTimes article cited in the initial post and the comments from the agents).

As strange as it may sound, the biggest thing limiting our ability to sign one of these guys is our own belief that they’d never sign here. I get the sense that DK and Rambis don’t necessarily share that belief, and pairing a Lebron or a DWade with Al, Love, Flynn, Sessions, Brewer, Rubio, Ellington, and Hollins could certainly look like a contending team pretty quickly-and a team that could contend for 5-6 years and not just 2-3 seasons. I think it’s kinda nice how a lot of those guys’ roles suddenly clarify when you add one of those big FA’s (Wade or LBJ). Add in a couple first rounders? Very interesting. Very very interesting.

and he talked about what great fans we have here?

This is as good as done. I hope you’re ready for him, as well as Phil Jackson.

the Wolves may have more to offer than any other team (unless he stays in Cleveland).
1. Wolves have cap space and players to do a sign and trade to give LeBron a Larry Bird rights max contract (way more than he’ll make as a regular free agent signing).
2. Cleveland would only do this if they get something in return. The Wolves can offer a couple good players and picks (pick among Sessions, Gomes, Pekovic, 1st rounders from Utah or Charlotte). Cleveland would also prefer if he goes to the Western Conference.
3. The Wolves can give up a few of these assets and still have a team capable of contending for the title. Most other teams trying a sign and trade will be shells around LeBron.

Flynn/Rubio
Brewer/Ellington/Draft Choice
LeBron
Love/Jefferson
Jefferson/Aldrich/Hollins

Best team in the West in a year or two?? Perhaps.

As far-fetched as it is to consider LBJ or DWade coming to the Wolves, the Rubio Factor could be an asset for bringing either one, in that:

1. The opportunity to play with Ricky could make Minnesota more attractive to a Star (and conversely, makes it more attractive for Ricky to come over sooner rather than later).
2. Ricky’s age, potential, and contract could make him an attractive trade option for a team that loses the Star, and has to sell fans on a rebuilding process (a little bit like AlJeff for KG).

Actually, while we’re all wondering in WhatIffia, in theory the Wolves could probably sign a max free agent outright, do a sign-and-trade for another using some combination of PPE (picks/prospects/expirings) and still have a decent young (affordable)supporting cast left over.

And I agree that if Cleveland is going to lose LBJ, they would prefer he head West. I do wonder, though, about LBJ’s preference to play in the East vs. the West. Looking forward, it would seem that Portland, the Lakers, Denver, OKC, and Houston(!) could be very good during, say, 2011-2014. But the foreseeable foes in the East could be relegated to Orlando, Chicago, and maybe Miami, depending on what happens with Wade and maybe Bosh.

Finally, don’t sleep on Chris Paul and the Hornets, especially if the Okafor Experiment doesn’t pan out (last night Okafor had 6 points, 8 rebounds, and a -18 in 30 minutes). That team’s salary situation is just brutal for the next 2-3 years.

When he declares free agency, make him a good offer. There are two advantages:

A) He might take it.

and

B) Even if not, by making the offer, the Wolves are showing great respect to LeBron James as a basketball player. If he signs with another team, when he plays with the Wolves, he will always think to himself, “Hey, the Wolves made me a good offer. They’re not all bad.” This might result in LeBron torching the Wolves slightly less in the future than otherwise.