Bosh's teammates don't see him leaving

[Andrew]

KG stuck it out for quite a while, all the way to a WCF appearance and then three straight trips to the lottery. Would you say any of the teams that LeBron would likely sign with if he were to leave Cleveland have a better shot at the championship than the Cavs?

[air gordon]

who cares if KG "stuck it out" (and under contract)? the bottom line is HE LEFT! he would have opted out any of those lottery years if had the chance

i don't know the "likely teams he would sign with". but going off the list of teams with cap (sorry if this isn't accurate- couldn't find one)..

the hawks, heat, bulls

will Cleveland even be a contender in the next few years with their current roster??!!

[Andrew]

My point is, KG didn't bitch, moan, or "Vince Carter" his way out of Minnesota. He gave it his all while he was there and signed a couple of extensions to boot. Sure, it didn't hurt that the Timberwolves could pay him more than anyone else but he wasn't phoning it in after the payday and seemed to eager to try and make it work there rather than demanding out.

[J@3]

KG is a piece of shit though, all of that aside.

[Its_asdf]

KG is a piece of shit though, all of that aside.

He's just intense, that's all.

[air gordon]

My point is, KG didn't bitch, moan, or "Vince Carter" his way out of Minnesota. He gave it his all while he was there and signed a couple of extensions to boot. Sure, it didn't hurt that the Timberwolves could pay him more than anyone else but he wasn't phoning it in after the payday and seemed to eager to try and make it work there rather than demanding out.

that's great for him to do that, really. the guy lived up to his contract & never complained... publicly. but that's not really the point here

do you doubt that KG opts out if he had the opportunity to in any of those lottery years? Personally i think he's an idiot if he opts to stay/be committed to a team that's clearly on its way down

[Andrew]

I guess it's a possibility, particularly after the second or third year. One could call it stupidity but it's never set in stone that a franchise can't turn things around. We saw the Celtics make moves that took them from the lottery to the championship in a single season. The Lakers bottomed out and missed the Playoffs for the first time in 11 years in 2005 but were back in the postseason the following year and have made back to back Finals appearances along with another championship the past two seasons (of course, Kobe did make that trade demand).

I just think it's a bit glib to say if LeBron returns to Cleveland it's only for the money and he doesn't care about winning a championship. Money is a factor at some point given his status as one of the league's best and him being at the height of his earning power he's obviously going to want to cash in, but isn't it also possible that he re-signs because he enjoys playing in Cleveland, has confidence in the franchise and feels he can win a championship there?

[air gordon]

Yeah you sure can say “never say never” but that’s a bailout. Look at those 05 & 06 teams and the management running those teams and tell me with a straight face the T-wolves were returning to glory

Naming 2 turnarounds in the last 5 years is hardly making a convincing argument. Using the Lakers as an example is preposterous. They always had the talent to make the playoffs and then got Gasol for free. With the Celtics- Ainge never gets the KG deal done without McHale doing him a favor.

Here’s my stance on Lebron James: I think he should leave Cleveland if he’s looking for a title. Cleveland can give him the biggest contract but that’s it. Complimentary pieces like Mo Williams, Shaq, Anthony Parker, etc… there are teams with better pieces then that & better for the long term. Again- do you think the current Cavs roster will be a contender in the next few years?

He could still make his $$ by going to one of the top markets in the league- Chicago or NYK… or Miami and still contend for a title

[Andrew]

I don't think New York with LeBron, a couple of decent players and spare parts is going to be any closer to a championship than Cleveland should be for at least a couple more years. Chicago would probably be better off as they've got a better roster on the whole and several key players are under contract for a few more years yet but I'm not sure he'd elevate them to where Cleveland is now. I'm not saying Cleveland's a lock for the championship this year or next, but short of LeBron taking the MLE and signing on with the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Magic or another established contender I don't think his chances of winning a championship in the near future will be markedly better than they will be if he stays in Cleveland and they continue to build around him.

That said, if he went to Chicago I could get used to the idea. Bosh too.

[air gordon]

Next years Cleveland supporting cast is a bunch of decent players and spare parts!

Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Varejao, HIckson don’t strike fear in the hearts of opponents. Does that even lock up the Central division?

[Andrew]

Possibly, a similar core won 66 games and went to the ECF last year.

[air gordon]

and unlikely they are not going anywhere with that frontcourt

[Hedonist]

If it's a bad thing, might I suggest Chicago as a possible destination?

I'm pretty sure Colangelo wouldn't let go of Bosh easily, and would S&T him. And I don't see Chicago returning great pieces other than Rose. Hinrich is a bum, Deng has a contract identical to Bargnani (fat and ugly), and Salmons needs to get his act together.

A good trading partner would be GS.

You're forgetting something. If it's gonna be a S&T deal Colangelo doesn't have all the power. Bosh will probably have a big vote on the destination. I know he's unlikely to leave just like that (think he'll stay actually) but if BC has some kind of deal that would send him to where he doesn't want to be he can just say FU and sign in NY or Chicago or whatever for just a little bit less than the absolute max.

if these guys want to win- they will sign for less then the max and go play in Miami with Dwayne Wade. if that happens, i could see a lot of other FA's wanting to sign for the veteran's minimum/part of the MLE to play in miami

Sure. Or, if Wade wants to win, he'll sign for the MLE with Cleveland or Orlando or Toronto or Boston or LA.

[john26]

If it's a bad thing, might I suggest Chicago as a possible destination?

I'm pretty sure Colangelo wouldn't let go of Bosh easily, and would S&T him. And I don't see Chicago returning great pieces other than Rose. Hinrich is a bum, Deng has a contract identical to Bargnani (fat and ugly), and Salmons needs to get his act together.

A good trading partner would be GS.

You're forgetting something. If it's gonna be a S&T deal Colangelo doesn't have all the power. Bosh will probably have a big vote on the destination. I know he's unlikely to leave just like that (think he'll stay actually) but if BC has some kind of deal that would send him to where he doesn't want to be he can just say FU and sign in NY or Chicago or whatever for just a little bit less than the absolute max.

Oh, yes. I forgot about that. Destination-wise bosh won't be playing in Texas then due to hometown pressure he has said before. And how about those rumours of him going to houston?

[Hedonist]

Oh, yes. I forgot about that. Destination-wise bosh won't be playing in Texas then due to hometown pressure he has said before. And how about those rumours of him going to houston?

I don't know, it seems like the big T-Mac expiring is coming up a lot in trade rumours. And Bosh is still seen as the most likely of the stars to be leaving next summer. I think Houston would want it but a lot of teams would want Bosh. I just don't see him leaving because the team is really clicking now, playing well, 7 of last 8 won, and Bargs is showing flashes of great D lately.
I think Bosh likes to play with him, knows they fit well together because of his ISO's and Bargs 3point threat and the make up of the team isn't bad looking. Savvy vet SF and nice prospect rookie SG who might become something real, some energy behind it. This team can go somewhere in the next couple of years and Bosh knows his role how it meshes and that he's the face of the franchise too. He always said he wants to win so it really depends on if he believes they can.

That destination stuff, I said that because I just don't see him go to GSW, I don't think hell want to. Would be too much of a guess I think. Especially because BC would try to rip them of some talent in return. I don't know about Texas, I'm not sure if he would rule that out I just think he wants a good team round him foremost, destination is secondary although Toronto might have the edge out of loyalty. Although you never know, sometimes people just wanna take a chance and change.